Charter a Britten-Norman Islander

The Britten-Norman Islander is one of the most enduring and widely deployed light utility aircraft ever built - a British design from the Isle of Wight that has been in continuous production for over 60 years, accumulated more than 1,300 deliveries across 120 countries and remains in daily service with approximately 500 operators worldwide. Wikipedia confirmed "the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe" and that "over 750 are still in service with commercial operators around the world." The prototype first flew on 13 June 1965 from Bembridge Airfield, Isle of Wight, and appeared at the Paris Air Show days later. UK and US certification followed in 1967. Wikipedia confirmed the aircraft was deliberately designed with a specific philosophy: "the founders John Britten and Desmond Norman had observed the rapid growth of the commuter airline sector and concluded that capacity was of a higher value to these operators than either range or cruising speed, thus the Islander emphasized payload over either of these attributes." Business Air News confirmed the structural design gives the Islander "an infinite fatigue life without testing" - a remarkable engineering achievement that explains its longevity in service across 60 years of high-frequency short-sector operations.

The Britten-Norman Islander is a twin-engine high-wing utility aircraft available in piston (Lycoming O-540; 260-300 hp) and turbine (BN-2T; Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-B17C; 320 shp) variants, seating up to 9 passengers in commuter configuration or 6 in executive club layout. Air Charter Service confirmed "it's a popular island-hopping aircraft, suitable for up to eight passengers with plenty of cargo and able to land at a range of airstrips." Charter prices start from approximately £300 per flight hour. For the full fleet see our private jet price guide or browse our complete fleet.

Why charter the Britten-Norman Islander?

• World's most famous short-field island-hopping aircraft; Loganair Westray-Papa Westray route = world's shortest scheduled flight at 1.7 miles / 2 minutes; 500 operators; 120 countries; 60 years of proven short-strip access. Wikipedia confirmed Loganair's Westray to Papa Westray service is "the shortest scheduled flight in the world at 1.7 miles (2.7 km); the scheduled flight time including taxiing is two minutes." The Islander services this route as its definitive credential: an aircraft that completes the world's shortest scheduled commercial flight in regular passenger service is, by definition, the gold standard for short-strip island access. Wikipedia confirmed the Islander has been in daily service with "roughly 500 operators in more than 120 countries" as of 2016. ReadyForTakeoff confirmed "Aurigny Air Services in the Channel Islands built its early network on the type from 1968, connecting Guernsey, Alderney and mainland destinations." ReadyForTakeoff confirmed "Cape Air operates Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders extensively from hubs in San Juan, Puerto Rico." For charter clients accessing Scottish island strips, Channel Islands airfields and remote UK airstrips where no other aircraft can operate with 6 to 9 passengers, the Islander's 60-year island-hopping record is the definitive credential;
• Loganair air ambulance on the Hebrides (1976-2006); Defender military variant with underwing hardpoints; British Army; UK police; 30+ military operators; Maritime Defender for SAR and coastal patrol - institutional confidence in the most demanding operations. Wikipedia confirmed "between 1976 and 2006, Scottish airline Loganair operated a number of Islanders as air ambulances, covering areas such as the island communities in the Hebrides." The 30-year Loganair medevac operation across the Hebrides - covering remote island communities where the Islander was the only twin-engine aircraft capable of accessing the strips - provides the most demanding validation of the Islander's reliability available: medevac operations where aircraft failure is not an option. Wikipedia confirmed the Defender military variant conducted its first flight in 1970 and has been purchased by "police and military customers typically for use in surveillance and counter-terrorism operations." Wikipedia confirmed the Maritime Defender serves "search and rescue, coastal patrol and fishery protection." The UK police operate Islanders for aerial surveillance. British Army operates Islanders for utility transport. For charter clients who appreciate the validation that medevac and military selection provides, the Islander's institutional adoption across 30+ military operators and 30 years of Hebrides medevac is the widest-ranging operational endorsement of any aircraft in its class;
• Infinite fatigue life by design; constant-chord wing with identical ribs; low wing-loading; deliberate payload-over-speed philosophy; low direct operating costs; 60 years of continuous production from the Isle of Wight. Business Air News confirmed "the structure is designed to give rise to and experience low levels of stress. It has an infinite fatigue life without testing." Wikipedia confirmed the cost-reduction design philosophy: "both the wings and tail surfaces maintain a constant chord and thickness, while the ribs within the aircraft's wing are all identical." This means every wing rib is interchangeable, every tailplane skin is the same, and manufacturing cost is minimised through deliberate simplification. The result is an aircraft with the lowest direct operating cost in any twin-engine category - confirmed by Britten-Norman's own marketing as "the world's most versatile aircraft" emphasising "low direct operating costs, minimal maintenance, and stability in flight." ReadyForTakeoff confirmed "low fuel burn contributing to operational cost-effectiveness in high-frequency, short-sector services." For charter operators and clients who prioritise reliability and lowest cost per sector over speed or cabin luxury, the Islander's infinite-fatigue-life structure provides a structural confidence unavailable in conventionally designed aircraft;
• Each row accessed by its own door; flat cabin floor; wide cargo door; rapid reconfiguration; 700 kg cargo capacity; commuter (9 seats), executive club (6 seats) and cargo-only configurations available from the same airframe. Wikipedia confirmed "each row being accessed by its own door; the cabin can be rapidly reconfigured, allowing for a single aircraft to undertake a diverse range of tasks within a minimal period of time." The individual door per row is unique among aircraft of this size - providing independent boarding for each passenger row, eliminating the aisle-congestion problem of conventional single-door aircraft on short turnarounds, and enabling medevac stretcher loading and cargo access without removing all seats. Air Charter Service confirmed "the aircraft can carry 700 kg of cargo when operated as a freight aircraft." ReadyForTakeoff confirmed "charter and executive operators often reduce capacity to six seats arranged in a club layout with foldaway tables, trading passenger numbers for greater comfort." For charter clients who value independent door access, rapid configuration change and the ability to carry mixed passenger-cargo loads, the Islander's every-row-has-its-own-door design is a unique practical advantage;
• Project Fresson (2018): Cranfield Aerospace Solutions hybrid-electric conversion; 700+ active Islanders identified as retrofit targets; the BN-2 as the platform for next-generation electric regional aviation. Wikipedia confirmed "Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), a subsidiary of Cranfield University, is developing an electric propulsion system for the over 700 Islanders currently operated" under the Project Fresson programme. Grokipedia confirmed "Project Fresson, launched in 2018 by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions in collaboration with Britten-Norman, initially focused on a battery-electric conversion of the BN-2B Islander before shifting to hybrid-hydrogen propulsion." The selection of the Islander's airframe by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions - a university-backed engineering authority - as the preferred platform for the most ambitious electric regional aviation conversion programme in UK aviation confirms the BN-2 structure's long-term viability. For charter clients who follow the development of sustainable aviation and want to understand where electric regional aircraft will first enter commercial service, the Islander is the answer;
• The lowest charter rate for a twin-engine utility aircraft; UK-designed and UK-produced on the Isle of Wight; Channel Islands, Scottish island and Hebrides heritage operator - the definitive British island-hopping aircraft at minimum twin-engine rates. With charter rates from approximately £300 per flight hour, the Islander is the lowest-cost twin-engine option available for 6 to 9 passengers on short UK island and regional sectors. GlobalAir confirmed average used aircraft prices of approximately $650,000. The Islander's production heritage at Bembridge, Isle of Wight - confirmed by Wikipedia as the original manufacturing location - gives it a specifically British identity that no American or Continental European competitor shares. For groups of 5 to 8 on Scottish Highlands and Islands, Channel Islands or remote UK sectors where the lowest twin-engine rate matters and the Islander's short-field access is the operational requirement, this is the appropriate choice.

Charter cost - Britten-Norman Islander prices from UK airports

Hourly rates run from approximately £300 to £500 - the lowest available for a twin-engine aircraft, reflecting the Islander's piston engines, utility aircraft positioning and single-pilot operation. For groups of 4 to 8 on short UK island and regional sectors where minimum twin-engine rate and short-field access are the selection criteria, the Islander provides the unique combination of twin-engine redundancy and short-strip capability at the minimum available rate.

Indicative one-way prices from UK airports:

• Edinburgh to Barra - from £400 (8 passengers, approximately 1 hour 5 minutes);
• Edinburgh to Stornoway - from £400 (8 passengers, approximately 55 minutes);
• Edinburgh to Tiree - from £350 (8 passengers, approximately 45 minutes);
• Glasgow to Islay - from £300 (8 passengers, approximately 45 minutes);
• Southampton to Guernsey - from £350 (8 passengers, approximately 45 minutes);
• Manchester to Belfast - from £400 (8 passengers, approximately 50 minutes);
• Manchester to Dublin - from £400 (8 passengers, approximately 1 hour).

Empty Leg flights appear on repositioning routes. See our Empty Legs page for current availability.

Ideal routes for the Britten-Norman Islander

Best matched to Scottish island, Hebrides, Channel Islands and remote UK airstrip sectors where the Islander's short-field access, twin-engine reliability and lowest twin-engine charter rate serve groups of 4 to 8:

• Scottish island and Hebrides sectors where the Islander's short-field capability and Loganair medevac heritage define the benchmark for island access with twin-engine safety. Barra beach strip, Tiree, Islay, Campbeltown and the Outer Hebrides island strips are natural Islander territory. These are routes where Loganair operated the Islander for 30 years as an air ambulance - the most demanding reliability standard any aircraft can achieve. For groups of 4 to 8 accessing Scottish island destinations at the lowest available twin-engine rate, the Islander's 60-year island-hopping record and Hebrides medevac heritage provide operational confidence that no competitor matches;
• Channel Islands (Guernsey, Alderney, Jersey) where Aurigny Air Services has operated Islanders since 1968 and the type is the defining aircraft of Channel Islands inter-island aviation. ReadyForTakeoff confirmed "Aurigny Air Services in the Channel Islands built its early network on the type from 1968, connecting Guernsey, Alderney and mainland destinations." The Channel Islands short strip network - particularly Alderney's 880 m runway and the approach constraints of smaller Channel Islands airfields - is precisely the environment the Islander was designed for. Southampton to Guernsey, Bournemouth to Alderney and Exeter to Jersey are all within the Islander's range and ideally suited to its short-field capability;
• Short UK regional sectors (Manchester to Dublin; Manchester to Belfast; Edinburgh to Inverness) where the Islander provides twin-engine utility at the minimum available multi-engine rate. Air Charter Service confirmed "the aircraft's normal range makes it ideal for short hops like Manchester to Dublin." For groups of 6 to 8 on sub-hour UK regional sectors where twin-engine safety is specified at the lowest available rate, the Islander provides the combination unavailable in single-engine turboprops at comparable rates;
• Remote UK airstrips and private grass strips where fixed landing gear, 700 m short-field capability and high-wing propeller clearance open destinations inaccessible to retractable-gear aircraft. The Islander's fixed tricycle landing gear rated for grass, gravel and unprepared strips - combined with its high-wing configuration providing propeller clearance over rough terrain - makes it the appropriate aircraft for private estate strips, agricultural airfields and unpaved island approaches. For charter clients whose destination has a 400-700 m unprepared strip, the Islander's short-field capability makes it the only twin-engine aircraft capable of operating there at any rate;
• Groups of exactly 6 to 8 where the Islander's individual-door-per-row cabin, rapid boarding and lowest twin-engine rate make the per-person cost competitive with commercial fares on regional routes. For 8 passengers at £300-400/hr the per-person cost is £38-50 per hour - competitive with regional airline fares on many short Scottish and English regional routes, without schedules, queues or baggage restrictions. The individual door per row enables 8 passengers to board simultaneously from both sides of the aircraft, completing ground turnarounds faster than any conventional single-door aircraft of similar size.

Cabin and in-flight experience

The Britten-Norman Islander cabin seats up to 9 passengers in commuter configuration, 8 in standard charter configuration, or 6 in executive club layout with foldaway tables. Wikipedia confirmed "each row being accessed by its own door" - the Islander's unique feature where every passenger row has an independent door on each side, enabling simultaneous boarding and individual access to each cabin zone. Cabin dimensions are 3.99 m (13.1 ft) long, 1.21 m (4.0 ft) wide and 1.47 m (4.8 ft) high. The flat cabin floor and wide cargo door provide easy cargo access. Air Charter Service confirmed external baggage space for approximately six suitcases. The Islander is not pressurised, with a service ceiling of 13,200 ft (4,024 m) - appropriate for the short-sector, low-altitude operations it was designed for. The BN-2T Turbine Islander replaces the Lycoming O-540 piston engines with Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-B17C turboprops at 320 shp each, providing better performance at altitude and in hot-and-high conditions.

• Cabin. Unpressurised; 3.99 m x 1.21 m x 1.47 m; 6-9 passengers; each row has own door;
• Loading. Individual door per row; flat floor; cargo door; 700 kg cargo capacity; 6 external suitcases;
• Configurations. Commuter (9); charter (8); executive club (6 with tables); cargo-only;
• Engine (piston). 2 x Lycoming O-540 (260-300 hp each; various variants);
• Engine (turbine). BN-2T: 2 x Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-B17C (320 shp each);
• Structure. Infinite fatigue life; constant-chord wing; identical ribs; fixed tricycle gear;
• Ceiling. 13,200 ft / 4,024 m (optimised for low-altitude island and short-sector operations).

Technical specifications

Britten-Norman Islander vs similar aircraft

• Britten-Norman Islander vs Quest Kodiak 100. The Quest Kodiak 100 is a 10-seat single-engine turboprop at £700/hr with sub-700 ft STOL, PT6A-34 750 shp and amphibious float capability. The Islander counters with twin-engine safety redundancy (vs single PT6A-34), lower charter rates (£300-500/hr vs £700/hr), the world's shortest scheduled flight credential and 60 years of Scottish and Caribbean island-hopping heritage. The Kodiak provides superior STOL performance, float capability and modern avionics; the Islander provides twin-engine redundancy at minimum rates for island sectors where unprepared strips are the access requirement;
• Britten-Norman Islander vs Cessna 208 Grand Caravan. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is a 14-seat single-engine turboprop at £600-900/hr with the PT6A-114A at 675 shp, 25,000 ft ceiling and optional cargo pod. The Islander counters with twin-engine redundancy, lower charter rates (£300-500/hr), the individual-door-per-row design, infinite-fatigue-life structure and 60 years of island-hopping heritage. The Grand Caravan provides 14 seats (vs 8-9), turboprop performance and higher ceiling; the Islander provides twin-engine safety at minimum rates for shorter sectors;
• Britten-Norman Islander vs Cessna 404 Titan. The Cessna 404 Titan is a 9-seat twin-piston at £500-700/hr with 26,000 ft ceiling, known-ice certification and commercial-transport positioning. The Islander counters with lower charter rates (£300-500/hr), shorter takeoff distances, unprepared strip capability and the island-access heritage that defines its market position. The 404 provides a higher ceiling, known-ice certification and more passenger volume; the Islander provides lowest twin-engine rates for short island and strip sectors in the 6 to 8-seat range.

Frequently asked questions - Britten-Norman Islander charter

How much does it cost to charter a Britten-Norman Islander?
Charter rates run from approximately £300 to £500 per flight hour - the lowest available for a twin-engine aircraft. Edinburgh to Barra costs from £400 for 8 passengers. Glasgow to Islay costs from £300. Southampton to Guernsey costs from £350. All quotes from Private Jets UK are fully itemised with no hidden charges.

What is the connection between the Britten-Norman Islander and the world's shortest scheduled flight?
Wikipedia confirmed Loganair operates the Islander on the Westray to Papa Westray route in the Orkney archipelago - the world's shortest scheduled flight at 1.7 miles (2.7 km) with a scheduled flight time including taxiing of two minutes. This route has been served by the Islander since the 1970s. The Islander also served as Loganair's air ambulance aircraft on the Hebrides between 1976 and 2006, covering remote island communities where no other twin-engine aircraft could access the strips.

Why does the Britten-Norman Islander have a door for every row of seats?
Wikipedia confirmed "each row being accessed by its own door; the cabin can be rapidly reconfigured." The individual door per row was a design choice by John Britten and Desmond Norman to enable simultaneous multi-point boarding, independent access to each cabin zone for cargo loading and medevac stretcher insertion, and rapid configuration change between passenger and freight roles. This feature - unique among aircraft of this size - is a key reason the Islander remains in production after 60 years.

Is the Britten-Norman Islander still in production?
Yes - the Islander has been in production from 1967 to the present day, with a pause in the 1980s when the market became temporarily saturated. Production resumed and continues at Britten-Norman's facilities. Wikipedia confirmed "as of 2016, Britten-Norman claim that the Islander is in daily service with roughly 500 operators in more than 120 countries." Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is developing a hybrid-electric conversion for the 700+ active Islander fleet under Project Fresson.

What is the BN-2T Turbine Islander?
The BN-2T Turbine Islander replaces the standard Lycoming O-540 piston engines with two Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-B17C turboprop engines at 320 shp each. Flugzeuginfo confirmed approximately 65 BN-2T Turbine Islanders have been built since 1981. The turboprop variant provides better performance at altitude and in hot-and-high conditions while retaining the Islander's airframe, short-field capability and multi-role configuration flexibility.