News
Air Loyaute signs for two Series 400 Twin Otters
June 18, 2009 – Paris – Air Loyaute, represented by SODIL (“Societe d’Investissement et de Developpement des Iles Loyaute”), has signed a purchase agreement for two new Series 400 Twin Otter aircraft to add to their Noumea, New Caledonia based operation.
June 18, 2009 By Administrator
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| David Curtis, Viking president and CEO with Samuel Hnepeune, CEO of SODIL |
June 18, 2009 – Paris – Air Loyaute, represented by SODIL (“Societe d’Investissement et de Developpement des Iles Loyaute”), has signed a purchase agreement for two new Series 400 Twin Otter aircraft to add to their Noumea, New Caledonia based operation.
The contract encompasses two Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft equipped in 19 passenger regional airliner configuration, with an optional med-evac stretcher capability. The new aircraft will add to Air Loyaute’s existing fleet of Series 300 Twin Otters, operating throughout the French Territory island chain as passenger, charter, med-evac, cargo and postal carriers.
The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2011, in time for the Games of the South Pacific, when New Caledonia will be the host country.
“For the people of New Caledonia, the essential services that Air Loyaute provides are paramount,” stated Samuel Hnepeune, CEO of SODIL. “The reliability of the Twin Otter ensures continuous operation and minimizes downtime, providing for the best possible customer service.”
David Curtis, Viking president and CEO added, “Air Loyaute is a well respected legacy Twin Otter operator, and we are pleased to welcome them to the Series 400 family. The addition of flight and maintenance training, coupled with the customer support package is representative of their commitment to maintenance and operations, ensuring customers receive the highest reliability attainable.”
The Air Loyaute order comes on the heels of a deposit agreement for a single aircraft with an undisclosed recipient, who has also booked a Series 400 Twin Otter outfitted in regional passenger configuration. The two deals now bring the Series 400 backlog to over $160M USD, pushing the next available delivery to the 4th quarter of 2011.
Viking provides OEM support for the worldwide fleet of de Havilland heritage line of aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7), and is part of Westerkirk Capital Inc., a Canadian private investment firm with substantial holdings in the hospitality, aviation and real estate sectors.
