Britten-Norman has confirmed that the first new Islander produced through its fully restored UK production line has reached 75 percent completion at the company’s Bembridge facility on the Isle of Wight. The aircraft is destined for the Falkland Islands Government Air Service, better known as FIGAS, with final assembly scheduled in the coming weeks.
This marks an important step for the British manufacturer, as the aircraft will be the first Islander delivered from the new production line in Bembridge. A second airframe is already on the same line and is approaching 25 percent completion, while components for follow-on aircraft are also already in production.
The revived production line in Bembridge marks the return of full civil Islander manufacturing to the United Kingdom. Under the previous production model, major assemblies were manufactured overseas before final assembly took place in the UK. Since launching its reshoring programme, Britten-Norman has invested in new CNC equipment and increased its workforce by more than 40 percent.
Since the aircraft reached 50 percent completion earlier this year, work has progressed across all key areas of the structure. Fuselage sub-assemblies and the fin were joined at the end of the first quarter, fuel tank testing has been completed, and the 15-metre wing assembly has also been finished and attached to the fuselage. The aircraft has since been repositioned on the production line, while installation of the landing gear, engines, flight control surfaces and remaining systems is now well underway.
Richard Milne, Chief Operating Officer at Britten-Norman, said reaching this stage of production was a major achievement for the team and a clear demonstration of the capability built at the Bembridge site. He added that each new production milestone brings the company closer to delivering brand-new, British-built Islanders to customers, highlighting the dedication and quality of work achieved by the employees.
In addition to the aircraft currently in production, Britten-Norman says it has letters of intent in place with operators in the regional passenger and special-mission sectors. Alongside the new-build programme, the company is also investing in aftermarket parts availability and service support for the worldwide fleet of Islanders already in operation.
Britten-Norman is now working to establish a continuous UK production cadence. With the first aircraft in an advanced stage of construction, the second airframe already on the line and components for follow-on aircraft in production, the company says delivery of the first new Islander from Bembridge remains on schedule.
