A HIGH-FLYING company specialising in aircraft interiors is celebrating 50 years in the business this year.

MAC Interiors is tucked away in an inconspicuous building on the Perrywood Business Park, Salfords.

It started off as a small firm in Dorking in 1962, before moving to Redhill Aerodrome in the 1980s and to its present site in 2005.

Roger Patron, commercial director, told the Mirror his company had never turned down a job – no matter how outlandish – despite some unusual VIP requests.

He told the Mirror: "We recently did the King of Saudi Arabia's Hercules aircraft. He's got five and one is specially lengthened, and we did a full VIP interior.

"It's the sort of plane you would usually see in a war zone but it had three bathrooms, a bedroom, gold everywhere. It's used as a hunting aircraft. They land in the desert and use it as their base.

"We also do helicopters. We worked on a helicopter for the owner of Gap clothing, it was all done out in leather trim and had a fitted bathroom. We've never said no. We even did horse enclosures for the Dubai royal family."

Mr Patron, who started with the company 16 years ago and worked his way up from the shop floor, said the economic gloom was actually helpful for his business.

He explained: "We've had a very good year. We're finding airlines are leasing aircraft more, and looking to maintain their fleets longer because of the economic climate.

"A lot of aircraft are older than you realise. The 747s can be 30 years old and refurbished. We can make them look like new."

While the VIP side of the business is profitable, the firm's "bread and butter" work is more mundane – and based around aircraft fittings, such as toilets and stowage.

Graham Hutchins, marketing manager, said: "We work on any aircraft, fixed-wing or rotary, from private aircraft and small helicopters up to jumbo jets.

"We've worked with big companies like Virgin, British Airways and Thomson. If you've been served food on one of these airlines it's quite possibly from one of our galleys.

"As for the future, business is booming so the sky is the limit."

Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, visited the business on Friday.

He said: "It's always enjoyable to see success and this is a fine example of sustained business growth.

"I saw a full order book and 80 per cent of the business going abroad.

"That's what we've got to do to get the economy right."