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Air bp

Press Release

Issued by Britten-Norman Aerospace.

July 17, 2018

Britten-Norman signs deal to bring Islander to China

Britten-Norman, the aircraft manufacturer, has signed an historic contract with a major Beijing-based aviation business to bring its Islander aircraft to the Chinese market.

The sales agreement, announced at RIAT 2018 between Britten-Norman and the Beijing Fangyuan General Aviation Co. Ltd, will see the latter actively promote and sell the Islander to typically small, regional local airlines with a need for a portfolio of aircraft types to meet their short-haul, high-frequency demands.

The agreement will also support BFGA in its ambition to further grow China's general aviation business which continues to expand at a breath-taking pace; Beijing is one the world's largest cities with a high GDP per capita and burgeoning demand for local transport and infrastructure. Strategically well sited and with a committed investment of some 300 billion RMB earmarked for emerging industries, Beijing is also home to the University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, generally considered to be the country's highest seat of learning for aviation business.

The Islander is one of Europe's most successful and enduring designs, its success being attributed to its exemplary performance as a multi-role, high frequency, short-haul platform. The aircraft is renowned for its excellent performance and high operating reliability and offers an effective, dependable and low-cost solution for operators. The aircraft can operate in some of the world's harshest and most rugged environments, including all terrain operations from unprepared surfaces as short as 350m.

Britten-Norman chief executive William Hynett believes that the scale of the opportunity is enormous: “China is one of the few countries in the world that has yet to enjoy the benefits that the Islander and its associated equipment has to offer, and as such we are very pleased to be entering into this new agreement.

“Beijing Fangyuan General Aviation Co Ltd has a proven reputation and track record in the region and a strong desire to grow the general aviation business in China. Initial signs are already very positive and with BFGA's support we are hoping to turn this early interest into positive sales. We also hope that over time we can further evolve our relationship into a distribution agreement and long-term partnership for the supply of Islanders into the region.”

The original Islander was designed to allow ease of access on short-haul sectors to remote locations and has been extremely successful in achieving that role both cost effectively and efficiently. Building on that original concept, the Islander has since been through a series of product refinements. The latest version of the Islander includes enlarged baggage bay door options, three-bladed scimitar propellers, low drag fairings, modern interior, all new ergonomically designed leather seats, on board entertainment options and club seating arrangements.

As well as performance, the Islander also offers low direct operating costs and minimal maintenance and has a fuselage and cabin design that can be easily configured for a number of roles including cargo, air ambulance and parachuting. Under-wing hard points can also support an array of pods or spray booms, adding to the aircraft's flexibility.

Britten-Norman focuses on all aspects of aviation, from R&D and aircraft design, through to the production, manufacture and maintenance of a variety aircraft products. It also provides training and operational support throughout the aviation value chain.