Amazingly good news for the Isle of Wight-based Britten-Norman aircraft manufacturer after it confirmed The Falkland Islands Government has signed a Letter of Intent with them with a view to ordering four new BN2B-26 Islander aircraft at a total value of $9.75 million.
The new aircraft project is part of a plan to further modernise the fleet operated by the Falkland Islands Government Aviation Service (FIGAS) as it marks 75 years of operations. The order is in addition to two aircraft that FIGAS has already contracted Britten-Norman to build, the first of which is now in service. All of the new aircraft will be delivered from Britten-Norman’s UK-based manufacturing line on the Isle of Wight, which the company launched in late 2023 after re-shoring from overseas.
FIGAS has been an integral part of Falkland's life since 1948. Their existing fleet of five Islanders serve in a variety of roles and are essential in keeping the Falklands and its more remote communities connected. In addition to commuting flights, regular missions include air ambulance, postal carrier, freight, veterinary transport, environmental monitoring and increasingly popular scenic flights.
The decision to select new Islanders as a replacement for FIGAS’s existing, older Islander fleet is in part down to an assessment by the team as to what aircraft best suits the tough operating conditions in the Falkland Islands, where durability and reliability are key factors in the operator’s long-term success. Refinements in the aircraft in recent years also played a part in the decision.
This order is of great importance to Britten-Norman, as it marks its own 70th anniversary, and comes as the company commences a ramp-up of its production output from its UK facility, where new aircraft production is set to grow fourfold over the next 2-3 years. New aircraft manufacturing sits at the core of Britten-Norman’s impressive growth plans as it expands to meet the regional aircraft market surge; the company seeks to reinvest profits from these early sales to drive further investment in continuous improvement as well as ongoing product development in its ‘Green Futures Initiative’, where the company seeks to improve environmental characteristics of its aircraft and reduce carbon emissions.
William Hynett, Chief Executive at Britten-Norman, commented: “We are so pleased to have such an incredible opportunity to build a new chapter in our long-standing relationship with the Falkland Islands Government and to continue to support the communities of these important islands. Our relationship with FIGAS is an exemplar of the benefits that can be achieved in private/public sector cooperation. As one of our most valued long-term partners, we rely on crucial feedback from FIGAS and work hard to use this knowledge to further refine our products and services.”
