Toulouse, France, September 19, 2023 – Maldivian Airlines, the national airline of the Maldives and the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, have signed a firm order for two ATR 42-600 aircraft. These highly-efficient new aircraft will join the airline existing regional fleet, including two ATR 72-600 and one ATR 42-600, to replace older generation turboprops.
With these modern aircraft, powered by extra efficient PW127XT engines and featuring a spacious and appealing cabin, Maldivian will offer further reliable and affordable connectivity to the archipelago’s communities and businesses, contributing to the Maldives’ economic dynamism while lowering emissions.
About Maldivian
Maldivian, the national airline of the country embodies the spirit of the Maldives by providing exceptional air travel services that showcase the natural beauty and warm hospitality of the island nation. The airline is the leading domestic carrier with a scheduled network comprising of 16 domestic sectors. Maldivian operates the largest wheel-based fleet in the country which includes DeHavilland Dash 8 and ATR aircraft. Maldivian Seaplane, which consists of DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, further enhances the airline’s domestic operation by providing specialized tourist air transportation service connecting customers directly to the doorstep of their chosen resort. Operating from its hub in Male’, the airline provides international scheduled flights to cities in India and Bangladesh.
PARIS, June 18, 2019––Longview Aviation Capital (“Longview”) and its subsidiary Viking Air Limited, a global leader of utility aircraft, support and services and manufacturer of the world-renowned Twin Otter, today announced a seven aircraft sales contract for six new-production CL-515 aircraft and one CL-415EAF.
The CL-515 is a newly developed, technically advanced multi-mission aerial firefighting aircraft – the next generation of the CANADAIR CL-415, the aviation industry’s benchmark amphibious aircraft and the backbone of firefighting missions around the globe. With enhanced firefighting capabilities, and the flexibility to support a wide range of critical mission operations, the CL-515 will be a vitally important strategic asset to fleets around the world.
The Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense has agreed to purchase six all-new CL-515 aircraft, four of which will be delivered in “First Responder” multi-mission configuration, and two delivered in optimized aerial firefighter configuration. The purchase agreement also includes one CANADAIR CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” aircraft converted from a CANADAIR CL-215 to EAF standard by Longview Aviation Capital’s subsidiary, Longview Aviation Services.
The Republic of Indonesia’s purchase agreement is a firm commitment that is conditional only on Longview Aviation Capital’s Board of Directors approving the production launch program.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Republic of Indonesia as the first customer for this extraordinary aircraft,” said David Curtis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Longview Aviation Capital. ”This contract is a major milestone in bringing the next generation CANADAIR to market. The confidence of a sovereign government in our program is matched by our own confidence in our ability to deliver this new aircraft platform to the world. We are very well advanced in all aspects of program planning, including our supply chain, and we are nearing a final decision on manufacturing and final assembly sites. We expect to complete the remaining program milestones in the near future, and deliver the first new CL-515 on schedule in 2024.”
Program Development Process
Since acquiring the type certificates for the CANADAIR amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier in 2016, Longview has had positive discussions with numerous potential customers from around the world, including both governments and private operators, who have enthusiastically encouraged a production restart.
On the basis of the global interest in the unique and unrivalled capabilities of the CL-515, Longview and Viking have invested in a rigorous process ahead of full production launch decision:
Consulted extensively with current global operators to understand their future aerial firefighting resource requirements
Conducted
extensive market research and feasibility studies and developed a new
all-season multi-mission platform, leveraging advanced technology not
previously included in the CL program
Consulted with key supplier partners
Undertaken
advanced supply chain and manufacturing planning, including options
associated with Longview’s current facilities and potential new
facilities in Western Canada
CL-515 Highlights
Up to 15% better aerial firefighting productivity, including increased tank capacity and ability to refill in 14 seconds
State-of-the-art Collins Pro Line Fusion® digital avionics suite for unrivaled situational awareness
Flexible architecture to support multi-mission capabilities including aerial firefighting, maritime patrol, surveillance, medevac, environmental monitoring, insect control, oil spill detection and dispersant
Reduced maintenance and operating costs through improved, scalable avionics and superior design
Unmatched mission efficiency and flexibility, requiring no runway or reloading capacity during waterbombing firefighting
“Indonesia is on the front lines of increasing challenges like forest fires, and as an island nation has extensive needs for a range of amphibious capabilities,” said Air Chief Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, chief of staff for Indonesia’s Air Force. “We have chosen to invest in this aircraft based on the CANADAIR’s solid track record demonstrated around the world over the last 50 years, and Viking’s established capabilities as an aircraft developer and producer. The next generation CL-515 will have unmatched operational performance, particularly as a firefighter. This aircraft has the best productivity of any aerial firefighting aircraft, capable of delivering the highest quantity of foam retardant per day, while at the same time providing the flexibility to save lives and protect our coastal areas through its multi-role SAR and Maritime Surveillance functionalities. We are proud to sign the first contract for this extraordinary aircraft that will enhance our mission capability at excellent value.”
Paris, France, June 18th, 2019: Viking Air Limited of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and Air Antilles, of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, have signed an agreement for the purchase of two Viking Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft, making Air Antilles the first commercial operator of the Series 400 in the Caribbean. Also forming part of the purchase agreement, Air Antilles will become the first Series 400 Twin Otter operator to receive European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for steep approach operations.
The two Viking-built Series 400 Twin Otters are scheduled for delivery to Air Antilles in the last quarter of 2019 and will be configured as 19-passenger regional commuter landplanes to replace the two legacy de Havilland Series 300 aircraft currently in commercial service with the airline.
With delivery of the Series 400 aircraft, Air Antilles will become the first commercial operator to receive EASA certification for steep approach landings, providing the airline with procedures to operate at approach angles in excess of 4.5 degrees. This is essential for Air Antilles’ scheduled operations to Gustaf III airport in Saint Barthelemy in order to satisfy EASA’s requirements for all commercial aircraft that access the airport to have factory certification for steep approach landings due to the surrounding mountainous terrain.
Eric Kourry, chairman of Guyane Aero Invest, the holding company of Air Antilles, commented, “As an operator of legacy de Havilland Series 300 aircraft for more than a decade, our knowledge of the Twin Otter’s exceptional flight capabilities, ease of maintenance, high dispatch reliability and suitability for our operations made selection of the Viking Series 400 a natural choice for upgrading our fleet.
“As travel tourism in the Caribbean expands, improvements to safety are becoming increasingly important for airlines to retain a competitive advantage. The innumerous improvements made to the new Series 400 will help Air Antilles increase safety and bring added value to their flight operations,” said David Caporali, Viking regional sales director for the Americas. He added, “The Caribbean shows encouraging market opportunities for Series 400 Twin Otter due to its low operating costs, ability to access the many short runways throughout the region, and its ability to support growth of an inter-island commercial transportation network. We highly value Air Antilles’ initiative to be the launch customer for the Series 400 in the region and are confident this relationship will yield many good results for both parties.”
About Air Antilles:
Compagnie Aerienne Inter Regionale Express (CAIRE), created in 2002, is an airline that operates under the name Air Guyane in the French Guiana, and under the name Air Antilles in the Caribbean. Air Antilles is one of the main regional airline companies in the Caribbean with more than 20 destinations in the area. The Twin Otter aircraft essentially serve from Guadeloupe to Saint Barthelemy, with Dominica soon to be added.
Pictured above: Proposed paint scheme for Air Antilles’ new Series 400 Twin Otters scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019.
Ottawa, Ontario, May 29th, 2019: Today during the CANSEC Defence & Security show, Viking Air Limited of Victoria, British Columbia has announced its plans to hold a world demonstration tour for its Guardian 400 aircraft, the special missions variant of the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter. The world tour will include detailed briefings and demonstration flights in Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, South East Asia, Oceania, and North America.
For the past six months, a production Series 400 Twin Otter has been undergoing modifications to transform into Viking’s Guardian 400 demonstrator aircraft for the proposed world tour. It will feature a right-hand SCAR pod with Hensoldt Argos EO/IR imaging turret, multi-spectral HDTV camera, mega-pixel HD Thermal imager, laser range finder, multi-mode auto tracker, and Remote Image Bus (RIB) video feed for display on the cockpit MFD or crew workstation. The demonstrator will also feature a left-hand SCAR pod with Leonardo Osprey Radar System and Sentient Vidar Camera system.
In addition to its mission sensor package, the Guardian 400 prototype will be equipped with an Airborne Technologies’ tactical workstation with high-definition touchscreen monitors, data/voice/video recorder, Mission Management Unit (MMU), mission radio communications, intuitive hand controller for MCU & SLR camera targeting, CarteNav AIMS mission system software, Kestrel MTI targeting software, and IKHANA ergonomic mission seat for optimized crew comfort. The prototype will also be equipped with Viking conformal bubble windows, left and right wing-mounted hard points by IKHANA, Thunder Bay Aviation stretcher racks, and an aft lavatory for crew comfort.
With a target launch date of September 2019, the Guardian 400 world tour has briefing and demonstration flights proposed throughout Europe, North Africa, Central Africa, Southeastern Africa, the Middle East, Southern Asia, Asia Pacific, North America and will culminate in Ottawa, Canada to coincide with the 2020 CANSEC Defence & Security show.
“As we’ve anticipated development of a Guardian 400 technical demonstrator for many years, to now be able to show off its unique performance capabilities and incredible versatility to interested military and government organizations in their home countries is exciting to say the least,” said Robert Mauracher, Viking executive vice president, Sales & Marketing. “While the tour details are still under development, we encourage interested parties to contact us if they wish to participate in a flight demonstration.”
About the Guardian 400 Twin Otter:
Viking developed the Guardian 400 in response to foreign military and government agency demand for a medium-range maritime patrol, SAR and critical infrastructure platform based on the new Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft. Designed as an economical force multiplier for 21st century surveillance and security requirements, the Guardian 400’s low acquisition and operating costs combined with its modern, flexible architecture allows it to be customized to suit operators’ financial and mission requirements.
The Guardian 400’s robust design, minimal maintenance requirements, and exceptional short-field performance capabilities make it ideally suited for specialized government operations in extreme environments. Certified under the restricted category, the Guardian 400’s increased take-off weight and extended range internal Patrol Tank allow for operational sorties over 10 hours in duration.
Trusted by the governments of Peru, Panama, the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, over thirty Twin Otter Guardian 400 aircraft have now entered service in various roles, including maritime surveillance, search & rescue, parachute operations, pipeline monitoring, drug enforcement, medevac, and critical infrastructure support.
On May 29 and 30, Viking Air will exhibit at CANSEC 2019 at the EY Centre in Ottawa, Canada. Hosted by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), CANSEC is Canada’s premier defence industry event, offering attendees the chance to explore the latest technologies and support services available for Naval, Air Force, Army, Civil Security, and joint-force military units.
Viking invites CADSI members and government personnel attending the show to visit us at Booth 521 to learn how Viking’s diverse range of exceptional utility and special missions aircraft suit a variety of operational profiles.
About Viking Air
Incorporated in 1970, Viking Air Limited began as the successor to McKinnon Enterprises, a parts and modification facility working on the Grumman family of aircraft. After specializing in flying boats for over a decade, Viking switched focus in 1983 when de Havilland Inc. selected Viking as their exclusive spare parts manufacturer and distributor for the de Havilland DHC-2 Mk I Beaver, Mk III Turbo Beaver, and DHC-3 Single Otter aircraft.
About CANSEC
For over 20 years, CANSEC has provided a platform for defence industry professionals from across the globe to connect and share innovative products and defence technologies with national and international military staff and major procurement officials. Held annually, the event is open to CADSI members and government personnel, and is the largest tri-service defence trade show in North America.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Searchers found the bodies of the last two Alaska seaplane crash victims on Tuesday evening, after a hunt through the debris and frigid waters following a mid-air collision that left a total of six people dead and 10 injured, officials said.
“The last two people were found. They were found deceased,” said U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Matthew Schofield.
The discovery of the bodies closes the search at the scene where the two seaplanes crashed after colliding over the inlet waters near Ketchikan, in southeastern Alaska, Schofield said.
Work at the crash site will now shift to an investigation into what led the two planes, which were ferrying Princess Cruises passengers on sightseeing expeditions, to strike each other and fall into the waters of George Inlet.
A team of 14 National Transportation Safety Board investigators has been sent to the site and divers will start working on Wednesday to pull up the wreckage of the two planes.
The two missing people, an Australian and a Canadian, were among 14 passengers from a Princess Cruises ship who boarded two seaplanes operated by separate tour companies in the town of Ketchikan on Monday, the cruise line said.
A 14-member team from the NTSB began investigating the crash on Tuesday and is unlikely to determine the cause during the week the team will be at the scene, NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy told a news conference.
Ten people survived but were injured in the collision, which took place over open water during daylight, the Coast Guard said. The dead include one of the pilots. The victims were not immediately identified.
Three of the injured were in serious condition and seven in fair condition, Dr Peter Rice, medical director of the PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, told a separate news conference.
The water temperature off Ketchikan on Tuesday was 48 Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. Expected survival time in 40-50F (4-10C) is one to three hours, according to the United States Search & Rescue Task Force website.
The investigators will be collecting information from the survivors, the Federal Aviation Administration, any other witnesses who might have been in the area, flight logs, training records and other sources, including the wrecked planes, Homendy said.
“We still have to recover the planes and then we have to look at those. It takes some significant work to really understand how the two came together,” she said.
All of the planes’ passengers arrived in Ketchikan on the cruise ship Royal Princess during a seven-day trip between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Anchorage, Alaska, Princess Cruises said.
Ten passengers and a pilot were aboard one float plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3, operated by Taquan Air. Four passengers and a pilot were aboard the second float plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, run by Mountain Air Service of Ketchikan.
The crash site, at Coon Cove about 300 miles (480 km) south of Juneau, Alaska’s capital, lies near a tourist lodge that runs excursions to the nearby Misty Fjords National Monument.
Ketchikan-based Taquan Air said the plane was returning from a sightseeing tour of Misty Fjords when the crash occurred.
Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage; additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Bill Tarrant, Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler
