Air Seychelles (Mahé) has taken delivery of two new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft from Viking Air Limited of Canada.
The new aircraft will be used for services between Mahé and Praslin, as well as other islands in the Seychelles archipelago, including Bird, Denis and Frégate.
Named ‘Isle of Bird’ and ‘Isle of La Digue,’ both aircraft have already left the manufacturer in British Columbia en route for Mahé Island, Seychelles.
Both aircraft will stop at several airports in Canada, Europe and Africa on their way to Seychelles, with Isle of La Digue on display at this week’s Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom.
The aircraft was officially delivered on July 16 to Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Manoj Papa by the Chief Executive Officer of Viking Air, David C. Curtis.
Last week the two Twin Otter aircraft were flown from Viking Headquarters to Calgary where ferry fuel tanks were fitted for the extended flight to Seychelles.
In addition to this week’s stop at Farnborough, the flight path to Seychelles included Churchill (Canada), Iqaluit (Canada), Reykjavik (Iceland), Malmo (Sweden), Nis (Serbia), Aswan (Egypt) with a final stop in Nairobi (Kenya).
The ferry flights are being operated by two Air Seychelles’ pilots, Captains Sandy Benoiton and Eddie Cesar, and the distance covers a total of 9,175 nautical miles (17,000 km), the longest sector being from Aswan to Nairobi (distance 1,528 nautical miles).
The multi-million dollar fleet announcement for the purchase of three DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft was made last October in a deal between the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles and Viking Air Limited.
Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter C-GFAP (msn 898) was on display at the Viking Air area at Farnborough.
Air Seychelles: 
Filed under: Air Seychelles Tagged: 898, Air Seychelles, C_GFAP, DHC-6, DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-6-400, FAB, Farnborough, Viking Air
