Britten-Norman starts ground testing on first UK-built Islander since reshoring

Britten-Norman has started ground testing on the first Islander aircraft manufactured since the company moved full production back to the United Kingdom. The airframe rolled out at the manufacturer's Bembridge facility on the Isle of Wight on July 30, 2026, after electrical power was applied to the aircraft for the first time, the company said in an announcement dated August 26, 2026.

Flight testing is scheduled to begin in September 2026. Once complete, the aircraft will be handed over to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service, known as FIGAS, which operates Islanders on inter-island routes in the South Atlantic.

Before the roll-out, engineers fitted the aircraft's engines, propellers, cowlings, electrical systems, brakes and flight control surfaces. Britten-Norman said the airframe had reached 75% structural completion in June, having earlier described its return to UK-based manufacturing as a milestone for the long-running Islander programme, which has been in service for several decades.

A second airframe is also under construction and is described by the company as progressing through the production line, with parts for further aircraft already being manufactured. Britten-Norman executives and FIGAS's general manager both welcomed the progress, characterising it as evidence of renewed manufacturing capability at the Bembridge site.

No timeline was given for wider deliveries beyond the FIGAS order, and the company did not disclose how many Islanders are currently on backlog under the reshored production arrangement.