Xen Aviation has taken delivery of a Britten-Norman BN2T-4S Islander to start regional commuter operations from Georgetown, Guyana. The aircraft, completed at the manufacturer’s United Kingdom facility on the Isle of Wight, is the first enlarged turboprop variant of the type to enter service within the Guyanese market.
The BN2T-4S provides a 30% increase in cabin volume over the standard piston-powered Islander and features a maximum take-off weight of 4,048 kg. Powered by two Rolls-Royce 250-B17F engines, the airframe is engineered for STOL operations from restricted infrastructure, addressing the specific requirements of runway conditions common across the Caribbean and South American regions.
Equipped with a Garmin glass cockpit and integrated avionics, the variant holds type certification for up to 10 passengers under the regulatory frameworks of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transport Canada, and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority. The configuration delivered to Xen Aviation includes full airframe de-icing for all-weather operational capability.
Corrin Stapleton, director of MRO at Britten-Norman, said that the delivery confirms the OEM’s capacity to supply turbine performance and modern avionics within a platform that retains established short-field characteristics. Xen Aviation noted that the BN2T-4S was selected for its twin-engine redundancy and robustness when operating from remote airstrips. By opting for a manufacturer-led refurbishment and completion, the operator secured OEM-level assurance for the type’s entry into service.
Britten-Norman continues to provide engineering, certification, and through-life support for the Islander fleet from its UK base, keeping the platform active in South American sectors where unprepared surface operations remain a logistical reality.
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