A brand-new aircraft built here on the Isle of Wight has completed an extraordinary journey across the Atlantic and down the length of South America to join the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS).
The Britten-Norman Islander, registered VP-FTS, arrived at Stanley Airport on Monday (9th November), following a delivery flight that began in the UK on 20th October.
The aircraft is the first Islander to be assembled entirely in the UK from individual components at Britten-Norman’s Bembridge facility, marking the return of full civil Islander manufacturing to the United Kingdom.
Having made its maiden flight on 3rd September, the aircraft was formally handed over to FIGAS Chief Pilot Troyd Bowles on 8th October.
Fitted with additional ferry tanks for the lengthy journey, VP-FTS departed the UK on 20th October, travelling via Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the United States before continuing down through South America towards the Falkland Islands – completing 13 fuel stops and a small maintenance stop over in Florida.
Its arrival included a celebratory flight along Stanley Harbour and a flypast of Stanley Airport before touching down at around 14:30.
Members of the local community were encouraged to turn out and welcome the latest addition to the FIGAS fleet.
FIGAS General Manager Duane Stewart has said:
“Islanders remain the most suitable aircraft for FIGAS operations. They’re well suited to our short runways, offer a practical payload, and are familiar to our crews and engineers.
“We’re very pleased to see the latest addition to the Falklands team touching down here, finally.”
FIGAS has operated Britten-Norman Islanders for more than 4 decades, providing essential air connections between settlements across the Falkland Islands.
The aircraft are used for passenger transport, freight and mail deliveries, medical flights, environmental monitoring and charter operations, regularly operating from short grass and gravel airstrips.
MLA Roger Spink, portfolio holder for Commercial Services, has said:
“After a long wait, it is good to see the arrival of this new plane for our aircraft fleet that deliver a vital link for our Camp community.”
The latest delivery represents a significant milestone for Britten-Norman’s Isle of Wight manufacturing operation, with the aircraft entering service thousands of miles from the Bembridge factory where it was assembled.
