Overview
- The BN2B-26 serial 2317, which took off on Thursday, September 3, 2026, has entered a flight test programme and will be prepared for delivery to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service after testing.
- Britten‑Norman assembled the aircraft at its Bembridge line from individual detail components, completing the repatriation of full airframe manufacture to the Isle of Wight that the company began planning in 2023.
- The production line is moving quickly: the first aircraft reached 75% structural completion in June, the company applied power in late July, a second airframe is already under construction, and parts for further examples are in manufacture.
- The restart relies on local skills transfer and long-serving staff who trained newer workers, a change Britten‑Norman says will help operators by improving predictability of delivery and build standards.
- Next steps include the company’s flight testing and regulatory approvals before formal delivery, with Britten‑Norman aiming to scale to about eight Islanders a year and to serve operators that need rugged short-field aircraft.