BEMBRIDGE – Australian aviation operator Torres Strait Air, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) and charterer Monte Aircraft have signed a letter of intent to deliver ten conversion kits to island residents. Torres wants to convert ten of the island’s older residents to hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Torres also signed ten new Islander aircraft with Britten-Norman at the end of August 2023 as part of a five-year, $25 million fleet renewal program.
All new Islanders come standard with full IFR cockpit glass, window seats, extended luggage access as standard, and a higher take-off weight than previous versions.
The Torres Strait Airlines fleet consists of seven islanders. They form the backbone of the local community and its economy. The company operates essential subregional air services across the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula.
The first aircraft will also be one of the first to be produced on the British manufacturer’s new production line at Bembridge Airport on the Isle of Wight. In May 2023, BN announced the transfer of its entire new aircraft production line to Bembridge.
BN’s ‘Green Future’ program will enable the airline to operate responsibly in the region and take a step towards achieving net-zero eco-tourism. Under this programme, operators who have purchased directly from the manufacturer can replace their aircraft with the carbon-neutral Islander product when it becomes commercially available.
Horn Island is Australia’s tenth largest international airport and a major hub of operations for the Islanders. It is also the first company owned 100% by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Australia’s First Nation. The company’s AOC subsidiary also allows the operation of international flights between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The protected Torres Strait Islands are home to some of the most ecologically complex biodiversity and diverse marine flora and fauna in the Indo-Pacific region.
