The Falkland Islands Government Air Service has taken delivery of a brand new BN2B-26 Islander – registration VP-FMC – to add to its existing fleet. This the first new aircraft that the government has purchased in 30 years and represents a significant investment in FIGAS’ expanding operations, the islands' government informed in this statement.
The Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB) has released its annual tourism statistics for 2018, which shows the tourism industry broke several records all in one year.
Falkland Islands' lawmaker MLA Barry Elsby told the Legislative Assembly that the new Latam flight to São Paulo is set to start in November, adding that contractual negotiations with the air carrier are “well advanced and nearing completion.”
The Falkland Islands government has made public the release from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch referred to an incident involving one of the Islands Air Service Islander, during a regular landing last June.
In January, a newly leased aircraft from Britten-Norman arrived in the Falkland Islands to provide an additional resource to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service during the height of the summer season. The plan was to carry out a 100 hours inspection and to fit flotation tyres before the aircraft – registration G-BCEN – would begin to carry passengers.
The Falkland Islands government air service, FIGAS, has incorporated on lease a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft for the inter-islands air service during the current summer season. Likewise another new aircraft has been ordered, scheduled to be delivered next July, as well as four new engines for the FIGAS fleet of Briten-Norman Islanders.
The Falkland Islands Government operating surplus now stands at over £38 million, Standing Finance Committee members were informed this week. The large surplus is due to favorable corporation tax receipts, and was arrived at by deducting operating costs of £68 million from the year’s income, which is £106 million.
The Falkland Islands Government has announced that its Islands' Air Service, (FIGAS), and Workboat Services Limited are working in the recovery plan of the FIGAS aircraft that was involved in an incident on Monday 11 June 2018.
The Falkland Islands Government Air Service has informed that at 10:55am on Monday 11 June 2018, a FIGAS plane was involved in a landing incident on Beaver Island. No passengers or crew have been injured however, there is suspected damage to the aircraft.
Britten-Norman has reported that it completed the first in a series of avionics upgrades to a fleet of five BN2B-26 Islanders owned and operated by the Falkland Island Government Aviation Services (FIGAS). The avionics are being upgraded to the Garmin G600 glass cockpit standard including the GTN650/750 GPS/NAV/COMM, GTX335R remote transponder and electronic engine instruments.