British aircraft manufacturer Islander hit by liquidation petition

Britten-Norman's success is based on the Islander, which first flew in 1965. Photo: Universal Images Group Editorial

A British manufacturer that builds aircraft used by MI5 is struggling to get its finances in order after it received a liquidation petition.

Britten-Norman's 69-year existence was recently put in jeopardy as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sought to recover unpaid debts through the High Court.

Earlier this month, the CAA filed a petition to liquidate the Isle of Wight-based company , but it was known to have been withdrawn.< /p>

Britten-Norman bosses insisted that the lawsuit was caused by a «mistake».

However, the liquidation procedure, which could lead to arrest company assets are commonly used by lenders as a last resort to obtain cash.

Legal documents show that Britten-Norman owed £36,577 to the regulator in bills related to design approval, airworthiness and noise certification. payments. ”, the CAA lawsuit of August 11 says. «Despite this, the company has not paid the agreed payments or has not made the required payments.»

The CAA declined to comment.

A spokesman for Britten-Norman said: «This is a bug that is being corrected.»

Britten-Norman's success is based on its nine-seat, twin-engine Islander, which first flew in 1965.

< p>To date, about 1,300 aircraft have been built, which are popular as an air ambulance and short-haul flights.< /p>

The British Army and Royal Air Force have used Britten-Norman's camera-equipped Islanders for domestic surveillance for 30 years, including missions over Northern Ireland during turmoil to relay vital intelligence to MI5 agents.

The last Britten-Norman Defenders, as the military called their Islander aircraft, were withdrawn in 2021.

Company House records show the aircraft's manufacturer and owner are also behind on their annual returns.

Britten-Norman and its parent company B-N Group Ltd were over six weeks behind on payments.

The latest B-N Group reports for 2021 show a profit of £80,000, up from £462,000 in 2020.< /p>

The liquidation petition comes months after Britten-Norman unveiled ambitious plans to merge with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to start producing a hydrogen version of its aircraft.

The company also laid out plans to restart production. to the Isle of Wight after most production was transferred to Romania six decades ago.

While many military aircraft and helicopters are produced in the UK, civil aerospace production is mostly limited to building parts.

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Airbus makes wings and other components in the UK, while Rolls-Royce makes jet engines.

The Isle of Wight is also home to Airframe Assemblies, a specialist aerospace company that rebuilds Spitfires from salvaged wrecks. return to flying condition.

Britten-Norman was founded by engineers John Britten and Desmond Norman in 1954 to build a small commuter aircraft.

They went into the production of crop spraying aircraft, and also to a hovercraft called Cushioncraft.

Islander's success has led to the company leasing out production by handing over the contract to Intreprinderea de Reparatii Material Aeronautic in Romania.