Andrew Griffith has visited Britten-Norman in Bembridge to see complete Islander aircraft being built on the Isle of Wight once again.
East Wight MP Joe Robertson welcomed the Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade to the manufacturer’s Bembridge facility, where the pair toured the production line and met members of the workforce.
Britten-Norman, the UK’s only independent commercial aircraft manufacturer, employs more than 100 highly skilled people on the Island. The company recently returned full manufacturing to Bembridge, where the iconic Islander aircraft was first developed and flown in 1965.
During the visit, discussions focused on the importance of supporting British manufacturing, engineering skills and the UK’s advanced aerospace sector.
“Britten-Norman is one of the Isle of Wight’s great manufacturing success stories,” Joe Robertson MP said.
“The skill, innovation, and craftsmanship on display at Bembridge are something we can be proud of. The Islander remains one of Britain’s best-known utility aircraft. Its reliability and versatility – including its short take off and landing capability from rough ground – has made it the aircraft of choice for passenger services, freight operations, air ambulance missions, coastguard duties, surveillance and humanitarian work, particularly in more remote locations, reinforcing the Isle of Wight’s reputation for engineering excellence on the global stage.
“To have complete aircraft once again being built here on the Isle of Wight is a remarkable achievement and a real vote of confidence in our highly skilled local workforce. It was a pleasure to welcome Andrew to see first-hand the world-class engineering taking place here and to discuss the importance of supporting British manufacturing.”
Andrew Griffith MP said businesses such as Britten-Norman play an important role in the UK economy and should be supported to compete internationally.
“Businesses like Britten-Norman are exactly what Britain needs. They employ hundreds of local people, and put places like the Isle of Wight on the map.
“But to succeed, they need to be supported – that’s why we will cut energy costs for business, scrap red-tape blockages and reduce the tax burden on their balance sheet so businesses like Britten-Norman can compete around the world.”
More than 1,300 Islander aircraft have been built since the type first took to the skies, serving customers in more than 100 countries across 6 continents and accumulating around 20 million flight hours.
