Viking Air Limited

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.  The shift to de Havilland aircraft allowed Viking to develop the repair and modification business, which helped to increase Viking’s experience and knowledge of de Havilland products. This insight further enhanced the skills of the work force, and transferred throughout the company to augment Viking’s capabilities. While developing into a specialized de Havilland support organization, Viking also utilized the full manufacturing facility to diversify the product offering and undertake contract parts manufacture for Boeing, Bell Helicopter Textron, Lockheed Martin and Bombardier Aerospace.  The contract with Bombardier began as spare parts manufacture for the Beaver and Otter aircraft, and quickly grew in strength until Viking became a key supplier of structural sheet metal parts and assemblies for the DHC-6 Twin Otter as well. The continued efforts and growing strength of Viking’s support for the Twin Otter led to the announcement in 2005 that Bombardier was transferring the Customer Service Centre (“CSC”) for the aircraft to Viking, allowing Viking to work directly with operators for supply of new parts and technical support.  This continued and specialized support for the de Havilland legacy culminated in 2006, when Viking acquired the Original Type Certificates (manufacturing rights) for all of the out of production de Havilland aircraft: DHC-1 Chipmunk, DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-2T Turbo Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-4 Caribou, DHC-5, Buffalo, DHC-6 Twin Otter, and DHC-7 Dash 7. As the Type Certificate holder, Viking became the Original Equipment Manufacturer (“OEM”) for these aircraft, naming Viking as the ultimate responsibility to operators for all aspects of the aircraft, from parts support through design engineering and technical information.  In April 2007, Viking launched the Twin Otter Series 400 production program, taking off where the original de Havilland Series 300 Twin Otter program ended over twenty years ago; Viking has taken the original design and engineering data for the aircraft and incorporated over 800 changes to modify and modernize the existing airframe. Initial demand was high with orders exceeding 80 units. In 2010, the Series 400 Twin Otter production program received regulatory certification from Transport Canada, and to date, over 60 aircraft have been delivered and are currently in operation in 26 countries worldwide.In 2012, Viking received the award for Exporter of the Year along with the Premier’s Award for Job Creation at the BC Export Awards, hosted by the Canadian Manufacturer and Exporters Association. With a current production rate averaging one new aircraft delivered every 15 business days, the Twin Otter Series 400 is now confirmed as the best-selling next generation 19-passenger aircraft available today.