KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
UK company sets sights on growing market as it seeks to resume Trislander production
B-N Group plans to establish a joint venture partnership in China that could lead to the completion of its full utility aircraft line, the Trislander, Islander and Defender 4000.
The Bembridge, UK-based manufacturer has been holding talks with two provinces and says a venture could be in place within 12 months. B-N Group has established a sales and marketing office in Beijing which is negotiating with the potential partners.
The initial focus is to build Trislander sales and trigger full-scale production of the 17-seat aircraft in Bembridge, says B-N sales director Ian Wilson. "Our partner will purchase green aircraft for the Chinese market. We will transfer technology to help them create an indigenous build. The aircraft is an ideal replacement for the Harbin Y-12," he says.
The company's last sale to China was for five BN-2B Islanders in 1989 under its previous mantle Pilatus Britten Norman (PBN). A decade later an order from China Northern for three Trislanders was withdrawn after PBN filed for bankruptcy. The B-N Group was established in 2000 by the current owner, Al Zawawi.
Wilson says the Chinese market for both regional and general aviation aircraft has opened up and is a key area of growth for the company. "A number of traditional markets for our aircraft, such as the Caribbean and Papua New Guinea, have dried up," Wilson says. He adds: "China offers a great deal of promise and we aim to be there from the start." Around 1,300 B-N types have been sold, of which more than 850 remain in service.
Source: Flight International
