The modernized version of the venerable Twin Otter has received Transport Canada certification and launch customer Zimex Aviation has taken delivery of the first of the Series 400 aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow from manufacturer Viking Air of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Resumption of production and recertification took three years and Viking CEO Dave Curtis said the first delivery is a milestone in what will almost certainly be a long run of the legendary STOL twin. “We are writing the next chapter in the long history of de Havilland Aircraft in Canada, and thank our customers who have remained loyal even through one of the toughest economic environments in recent memory.”
The aircraft was originally built by de Havilland Aircraft but production stopped in the 1980s. Viking obtained the type certificates for all de Havilland models and quickly amassed $200 million in orders for the aircraft, many of which came from existing users of legacy Twin Otters. Viking has also developed a military version of the Twin Otter called the Guardian.
