Britten-Norman has rolled out the first Islander fully manufactured in the U.K. in almost 60 years. According to local reports, aircraft 2317 emerged from the company’s production facility in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight on Friday.
Production Returns to Bembridge
The aircraft has received its engines, propellers, cowlings, electrical systems, brakes and flight controls. Electrical power has also been applied, and Britten-Norman is preparing the aircraft for ground testing.
Britten-Norman said in 2023 that it was returning complete Islander production to the U.K. after more than five decades of airframe manufacturing in Romania. The company has added manufacturing equipment at Bembridge and increased its workforce as part of the transition.
Bound for the Falkland Islands
Aircraft 2317 will be delivered to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service. The air service currently operates five Britten-Norman Islanders. According to government records released in January, the new aircraft experienced delivery delays as the territory reviewed its longer-term fleet replacement plans.
The twin-engine Islander first flew in 1965 and is designed for passenger, cargo and utility operations from short airstrips. Britten-Norman says more than 1,250 have been produced for customers in over 100 countries. A second aircraft is advancing through the Bembridge production line, and parts for additional airframes are already being manufactured.
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