Maldives National Airline Signs Letter of Intent for Two DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G Aircraft at Farnborough 2026

Island Aviation Services, operating as Maldivian, signed a letter of intent with De Havilland Canada at the July 2026 Farnborough Airshow to acquire two DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft. If completed, the deal would bring the first Twin Otters of the 300-G series — the fifth iteration of the type, after the Series 100, 200, 300, and 400 — to the Maldives.

The Twin Otter first flew in May 1965, making the family approximately 60 years old. De Havilland Canada delivered the 1,000th Twin Otter on March 20, 2026; 844 were built during the original production run that ended in 1988, and 156 have been built by Viking Air since the type returned to production in 2007. Ryan DeBrusk, Vice President of Sales for De Havilland Canada, said, "The Maldives has long been known as the home of the Twin Otter. As the largest Twin Otter market in the world, there is no better place to introduce the next generation of this legendary aircraft." Ibrahim Iyas, Managing Director of Island Aviation Services Limited, said the Twin Otter "has been an integral part of aviation in the Maldives for decades," and that the new aircraft would let the carrier keep providing dependable service while benefiting from updated technology.

The Classic 300-G is equipped with a Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck including autopilot, weather radar, flight-tracking systems, and ground-proximity warnings. De Havilland Canada reports a weight saving of 400–500 lb (180–227 kg) compared with earlier variants, which it estimates improves operator revenues by 8% through enhanced range and payload. Operators can choose between two Pratt & Whitney Canada engines — the PT6A-27, optimised for efficiency, and the PT6A-34, built for demanding operations — both fitted with lithium-chemistry battery starter generators.

The Maldives' tourism industry is valued at approximately $5.4 billion, spread across 1,190 islands in 26 atolls. Because inter-island boat travel is slow, seaplanes carry tourists from Velana International Airport in Malé to resort islands. Trans Maldivian Airways, described as the world's largest seaplane operation, held 62 Twin Otters according to the 2020 Airliner Census, well ahead of Kenn Borek Air's 15. The average age of Trans Maldivian's Twin Otter fleet is 48.2 years, and its oldest aircraft, registered 8Q-OEQ, is nearly 60 years old.

This letter of intent belongs to the broader replacement cycle facing operators of aging turboprop fleets in island and remote markets, where the aircraft type itself has become inseparable from the destination's tourism identity. The Maldives' dependence on seaplane transfers between Velana International Airport and resort islands means any shift in Twin Otter availability or capability touches the wider $5.4 billion tourism economy, not just the airline's own operations.

The economics described — an estimated 8% revenue improvement from weight savings and payload gains, plus modernized avionics and engine options — illustrate how manufacturers now compete on incremental efficiency and safety upgrades rather than a wholesale redesign, since the underlying airframe concept has persisted for six decades. For an operator like Trans Maldivian Airways, whose fleet averages 48.2 years, a proven successor variant matters because retirement timing and parts support for older Twin Otters becomes harder to sustain the longer that average age climbs.

Whether this letter of intent converts into a firm order, and on what delivery schedule, remains the next milestone to watch, along with whether Trans Maldivian Airways or other Maldivian operators follow with their own commitments to the 300-G variant.