Viking Air Limited and PAL Aerospace Canada have signed a contract to support a Twin Otter fire attack system. The agreement's scope includes the design, manufacturing, installation and certification of an aerial firefighting system for the Twin Otter DHC-6 300 and 400 aircraft. It is anticipated that the aerial firefighting system will be certified in 2022 and an international customer will receive the first converted aircraft.

This undertaking is a progressive effort between Viking and PAL to build additional capabilities for the already versatile DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300 and 400 aircraft. The aerial firefighting system will allow the Twin Otter to transition effortlessly between global firefighting missions and its more traditional mission profiles, including transporting passengers and cargo.

The airtanker-configured Twin Otter aircraft will help mitigate and fight wildfires with the ability to drop up to 700 US gallons of water or retardant in challenging environments.

PAL Aerospace senior vice president of global support Phillip Garbutt says: “PAL Aerospace is proud to partner with Viking on this exciting project that supports innovation, economic growth and supply chains in Canada. As an established DHC-6 Twin Otter operator, we know first hand the capability and versatility of the aircraft and consider it a privilege to bring our comprehensive design, engineering and modification capabilities to bear in developing this new capability.”

Viking director of customer support operations Benjamin Carson adds: “We are happy to work with PAL Aerospace to provide our operators the ability to utilise our DHC-6 Twin Otter for specialised aerial firefighting missions. As the OEM, we work to continuously enhance the aircraft we support, providing our customers with ongoing fleet sustainment activities and upgrades.”