A Hampshire aircraft manufacturer has signed an historic deal to sell its planes to China.

Britten-Norman, which has sites Lee-on-Solent, Millbrok and Bembridge, signed contract with a major Beijing-based

Fangyuan General Aviation Co. Ltd.Britten-Norman.

Fangyuan will promote and sell Britten Norman's Islandert to small, regional airlines in China to meet their short-haul demands.

The Islander is one of Europe’s most successful and enduring designs. The aircraft can operate in some of the world's harshest and most rugged environments, including all terrain operations from unprepared runways as short as 350m.

Although designed in the 1960s, more than750 are still in service with commercial operators around the world. The aircraft is also used by the British Army and police forces in the UK and by 30 military aviation operators around the world.

Britten-Norman Chief Executive William Hynett believes that the scale of the China deal was enormous:

“China is one of the few countries in the world that has yet to enjoy the benefits that the Islander and its

associated equipment has to offer, and as such we are very pleased to be entering into this new

agreement.

“Beijing Fangyuan General Aviation Co Ltd has a proven reputation and track record in the region and a

strong desire to grow the general aviation business in China. Initial signs are already very positive and

with BFGA’s support we are hoping to turn this early interest into positive sales. We also hope that over

time we can further evolve our relationship into a distribution agreement and long-term partnership for the

supply of Islanders into the region.”

Mr Hynett said that as well as performance, the Islander also offers low direct operating costs and minimal maintenance and

has a fuselage and cabin design that can be easily configured for a number of roles including cargo, air

ambulance and parachuting. Under-wing fixings can also support an array of pods or spray booms,

adding to the aircraft’s flexibility.