De Havilland Canada (DHC) and Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales (Satena) have signed an agreement covering the purchase of eight DHC-6 Twin Otters aircraft to add to the airline's growing fleet. The sale will add to Colombia's air connectivity by further improving access to remote areas of the country.
Majority-owned by the government of Colombia, Satena provides access to less connected areas of the country. DHC said the Twin Otter offers exceptional operating economics that will drive Satena's growth strategy for the next 50 years. DHC has scheduled deliveries of the aircraft to begin later this year.
"The De Havilland Canada Twin Otter, with its modern cockpit, rugged airframe, and proven reliability, is the right addition to our fleet and will support our mission to [exceed] expectations, expand our routes, and reach new destinations," said Maj. Gen. Oscar Zuluaga Castano, president of Satena.
In another development, DHC announced that Zimex Aviation has signed a purchase agreement to make them the launch customer of the newly certified Garmin Avionics packages to upgrade their Twin Otter Series 400. The order of four upgrade kits, offered through a partnership with Aerocorp Avionics Solutions, will go to Zimex in the second half of the year.
Zimex is a long-term customer of DHC, having ordered two new DHC Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft at the Paris Airshow in 2023. Schedules call for delivery of those aircraft in 2025.
"Zimex and De Havilland Canada have a great relationship that goes back decades, and we are pleased that they have chosen to upgrade their Twin Otters with new avionics suites," said Ryan deBrusk, vice president of sales and marketing at DHC.
The upgrades received certification in June, and DHC expects autopilot certification in early 2025.
DHC is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Short Brothers 330 to fly at the Farnborough International Airshow in 1974. The 30-seat turboprop, along with other variants, became part of the DHC family in 2019.