Two young actors chosen to star in a new advert promoting air services in the Highlands gained a sneak preview of their television debut today (9 July).

Malcolm Cumming, 12, and nine-year-old Sean Melville were chosen from more than 100 aspiring actors in the region to appear in the advert that highlights air travel opportunities from Inverness Airport.

The television commercial is the first in a series that will promote the services and destinations available via the 10 airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.

The airport operator commissioned leading Glasgow-based advertising agency Frame Cunningham to create the new campaign. Auditions and filming sessions were held locally.

The advert, promoting the increasing number of air travel options in the region, will be screened for the first time on Grampian Television on Friday. It will also be used for marketing and promotional purposes by Highlands and Islands Airports at several major aviation events later this year including Routes 2003 in Edinburgh in September – the world’s largest route development and aviation networking forum.

Alex Johnson, commercial and marketing manager at Highlands and Islands Airports said: "Malcolm and Sean have put in great performances and have helped realise the creative concept that we had for this campaign.

"While this advert will focus on our principal hub airport at Inverness the intention is to progress the campaign next year with a second commercial promoting our other main passenger hubs at Kirkwall, Sumburgh and Stornoway and the other airports in the group. Our 10 airports have again seen substantial passenger growth in the past year and it is important to ensure that as many people as possible within the region are utilising air services to their benefit in terms of time and cost savings in business and leisure travel."

Inverness Airport manager James Walton added: "As more people choose to travel by air our airports become more attractive to airlines with the result that we can expand the range of destinations and services offered to inbound and outbound travellers. The substantial passenger growth at our hubs, including Inverness, in recent months enables us to present stronger business cases to the airlines we are in discussions with."

Kevin Toner, client services director at Frame Cunningham added: "This has been a terrific project to work on and we have been very pleased with the level of support and interest from the local community. To have Bafta award winning director Adrian McDowall on the team was a real bonus. His superb direction of the boys has resulted in a light hearted film which delivers all our key messages."

ENDS