Long-serving Britten-Norman chief executive William Hynett is to step down from his post, moving across to a new non-executive director role focused on business strategy at the UK airframer.

Britten-Norman has not identified a replacement for the outgoing Hynett, who has held the position of chief executive for more than two decades.

Piston Islander by Needle[1]

Source: Britten-Norman

UK airframer builds BN-2 Islander utility aircraft

Describing the move as a “planned transition”, Alison Rankin Frost, board chair and director of the firm’s parent company Beechlands Enterprises, says Hynett has been “the driving force behind Britten-Norman’s continuing resilience and growth”.

“It has been an honour to serve Britten-Norman over the past two decades,” says Hynett. “This business has always been more than just a company to me – it’s a part of my family’s legacy.”

Beechlands invested in the Bembridge, Isle of Wight manufacturer of the BN-2 Islander in October 2024, buying out former owner 4D Capital Partners, which had acquired the group via a pre-pack administration in March that year.

Prior to the administration, attributed to Covid-19-related losses, Britten-Norman had explored a merger with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions but opted not to pursue the deal.

Besides Hynett and Rankin Frost, UK Companies House documents list Britten-Norman’s directors as Patrick Cowan, Julia Meazzo and Roberto Rinaldo.

Dominic Perry is Aerospace Editor, Europe contributing extensively to flightglobal.com. Although specialising in the coverage of the helicopter industry, he has written on most topics in aerospace – be they commercial, defence or business aviation. In addition, there has been an increasing focus on the decarbonisation of the industry and zero-emission flight initiatives. He also helps to edit Flight International.View full Profile

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