The Falkland Islands Government has signed a letter of intent with Britten-Norman 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 life since 1948. Its existing fleet of five Islanders serve a variety of roles and are essential in keeping the Falklands and its more remote communities connected. In addition to commuter flights, regular missions include air ambulance, post carrier, freight, veterinary transport, environmental monitoring and scenic flights.

The BN2B-26 Islander is one of Britten-Norman’s rugged piston powered aircraft variants, which has been a stalwart of the FIGAS fleet due to its STOL capability across the range of terrain and challenging conditions. The long-term durability of the aircraft type has been proven beyond doubt over the six decades that FIGAS has operated its fleet of Islanders.

The decision to select new Islanders as a replacement for the existing Islander fleet is in part down to an assessment by the team as to what aircraft best suits the tough operating conditions of the 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 four-fold over the next two to three years. New aircraft manufacturing sits at the core of Britten-Norman’s 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 it seeks to improve environmental characteristics of its aircraft and reduce carbon emissions.

Chief executive William Hynett comments: “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 co-operation. 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.”