Historic maiden flight for Isle of Wight-built plane

The first Islander aircraft built on the Isle of Wight in decades has completed its maiden flight. After more than 50 years in which the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander was mainly manufactured in Romania and finished in Bembridge, production returned to the island in 2023, growing staff from 100 to 180. The new aircraft flew on Thursday and will be painted in the colors of the Falkland Islands Government Air Service before heading to the South Atlantic as a transport link. Chief Operating Officer Richard Milne said the move lets the company control quality and delivery timing, targeting ramp-up to eight aircraft per year from Bembridge within two years. About 1,250 Islanders have been delivered since the prototype first flew in 1965, with around 350 currently operating in more than 100 countries.