Channel Islands regional carrier Aurigny is to introduce a De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter which has undergone an extensive rebuild, and recently completed a transatlantic delivery flight.
The 17-seat Twin Otter is one of a pair which will fly under a multi-year agreement, serving the island of Alderney with routes to Guernsey and Southampton.
Owned by Skybus – the carrier of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group – the aircraft will operate in Aurigny colours from November this year.
“Adding a new aircraft not only reinforces our ability to deliver reliable regional air services but also demonstrates our confidence in the long-term future of aviation within the group,” says Skybus managing director Jonathan Hinkles.
The aircraft has undergone renewal of its structure and wiring, with new fuselage panels and floors, reconditioned wings, and new landing-gear struts. It has been fitted with new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines and propellers, a Garmin avionics suite, and a lithium-ion battery system.
Work was carried out by specialist Rocky Mountain Aircraft in Calgary, and the turboprop was subsequently flown to Land’s End in the southwest UK.
“This aircraft represents an extraordinary achievement in engineering and a significant step forward in the delivery of reliable, sustainable air services for Alderney,” says Aurigny chief technical officer Chris Roussel, adding that the refurbishment means the Twin Otter is effectively “as new”.
It has been re-registered as G-NETS, to reflect the Les Etacs rock off the Alderney coast, which hosts thousands of gannets.
