Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 22 seconds.
Earlier this month, Viking recognized the completion of its 50th production Series 400 Twin Otter at two separate events for employees held at the company’s corporate headquarters in Victoria, B.C. and the aircraft assembly facility in Calgary, Alta.
With completion of the 50th aircraft, Viking has recorded sales of the Series 400 to 23 countries worldwide, with 18 different customers receiving deliveries thus far. To date, the largest customers for the Series 400 are CAVU Aviation Finance of the United States with 14 aircraft on order, the Peruvian Air Force with 12 aircraft, Vityaz Avia of Russia with 11, and Global Aerospace Logistics of the UAE, with eight aircraft.
Currently, the largest commercial operator is MASwings, a subsidiary to Malaysian Airlines, who have already received four of six Series 400 Twin Otter aircraft on order, and will receive the 50th Viking production aircraft with their fifth delivery in early April.
“It’s not uncommon to forget where you’ve come from, so to take a moment and reflect on the journey can be awe-inspiring. When I consider the achievements and the effort put forward by our entire team to make this program a success, it’s truly something to be proud of,” remarked David Curtis, Viking president and CEO.
Viking’s key partners who have significantly contributed to reaching this Series 400 program milestone include Pratt & Whitney Canada with the supply of the PT6A-34 twin turbine engines, Honeywell Aerospace with the supply of the Primus Apex integrated digital avionics suite, Field Aviation providing main landing gear and fuselage components, Heroux Devtek providing nose landing gear, and Wipaire with the supply of optional floats. In addition, Lee Aerospace, Fleet Industries, Emteq, Sealand Aviation, and IKHANA Group are all major suppliers of Series 400 Twin Otter aircraft structures and components, and integral to the success of the Series 400 program.
“Reaching this milestone in such a short period of time is truly astonishing. The success that Viking is experiencing is a testament not only to the Twin Otter itself, but to the talented and hardworking team at Viking,” commented Denis Parisien, vice president general aviation, Pratt & Whitney Canada. He continued, “Pratt & Whitney Canada has been powering this iconic aircraft for 48 years, and after nearly 50 years together, the Twin Otter and PT6 engine continue to make history.”
With Viking aircraft sold and delivered to 23 countries worldwide, the Series 400 Twin Otter is confirmed as the best-selling next generation turbo-prop aircraft in its class. Viking provides OEM support for the worldwide fleet of de Havilland legacy aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7) and forms part of Westerkirk Capital Inc, a Canadian private investment firm with substantial holdings in the hospitality, aviation, and real estate sectors.
