 Scheduled operations were launched in early 1986 with a Glasgow to Donegal service using 9 passenger Britten Norman Islander aircraft.A planned expansion saw the recruitment of a number of ex Air Ecosse staff, including Malinair's General Manager and Operations Manager.In the summer of 1986, Malinair began operating the former Air Ecosse Aberdeen-Glasgow-Belfast service with a leased Dornier 228 from Schreiner Airways (PH-SDO, re-registered G-MLDO cn8009) using Ecosse's route licence and WG flight code.