Guernsey Trislander to become museum piece

G-RLON operated the last of the airline's flights between Guernsey and Jersey in 2014

A commercial plane that served the Channel Islands for more than 25 years will make one last flight to become a museum piece.

Trislander G-RLON, which belongs to Guernsey airline Aurigny, will fly to Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, where it will be placed on permanent display.

The Britten Norman plane's first flight was in 1975 and it joined the airline in 1991 and was retired in February.

It clocked up more than 32,600 flying hours and made 105,130 landings.

During this time it has operated on routes between Guernsey, Alderney, Jersey, Southampton and Dinard.

More on this museum move, and other news

The Trislanders are being retired from service with the airline

The airline says it is waiting for a special permit to make the flight as the plane no longer has a licence to fly.

Once that has been obtained and crew are available the flight to Lee-On-Solent airfield, near Portsmouth, will take place and it could be as soon as this week.

Aurigny's 'poster plane' G-Joey is also due to go on display at a purpose-built attraction in Guernsey..

Mark Darby, chief executive of Aurigny, said: "We are delighted... the Trislanders have served the airline for over four decades now and for many years was the backbone of the operations.

"Many people, both locally and further afield, hold the aircraft close to their hearts and it is fitting that one of our last Trislanders will go on public display in the UK."

He said the plane was going to the museum on "permanent loan".

The airline's last operating trislander G-BEVT is due to retire in June

Aurigny is phasing out the Britten-Norman Trislander in favour of the Dornier 228 and the last one in service with the airline is due to retire in June.

Mr Darby said he expected that plane would end up at Duxford Museum.