Viking Progressing Rapidly on Twin Otter

By Ian J. Twombly

July 1, 2007
Aircraft

Some two months after announcing the relaunch of Twin Otter production, Canada’s Viking Aerospace began cutting metal on the first airplane at its final assembly plant in Calgary last month. Scheduled for delivery to Zurich’s Zimex Aviation in the first quarter of 2009, the first Twin Otter 400 will look virtually identical to the operator’s “legacy” Twin Otter 300s and offer the same 19 seats.

It will, however, carry a few updates that should help improve reliability. Viking’s April announcement that production would be restarted on the Twin Otter apparently caused excitement in the industry: the total number of aircraft ordered had reached 40 as this issue went to press, including a single order for 10 aircraft from Emirates Advanced Investments of Abu Dhabi.

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