Bogota, Colombia. August 2, 2010 - Viking Air of Victoria, BC, Canada has appointed Indaer International as its sales representative for the new production Series 400 Twin Otter and legacy Twin Otter aircraft in Colombia. Indaer was selected for its presence in the country with offices in Bogota and Medellin, as well as its strong reputation in the Latin American aviation industry, and its extensive knowledge of the Twin Otter.
The Twin Otter’s outstanding airfield performance, durable airframe and low operating costs make it ideal for service to smaller airports in this rugged, mountainous country. Legacy versions of the aircraft have been in continuous service with airlines and other operators in Colombia since 1975 and interest in Viking’s new Series 400 Twin Otter is high.
Robert Mauracher, Viking’s vice-president of business development, said, “We’re pleased to be working with Indaer to strengthen our marketing network in Latin America, and we see a bright future for the Twin Otter throughout the region.”
Mauracher’s comments were echoed by Calvin Tuitt, Indaer’s director of North American and Caribbean sales, who said, “Many of our customers see the Twin Otter as the ideal aircraft for operation in the remote jungle and mountainous areas of Colombia. We’re proud to be working with Viking to introduce new Series 400 aircraft to the Colombian market.”
Indaer International is an aerospace, engineering and technical services company that was created as a successor to ACES, a South American regional airline with a long and successful history of Airbus, Boeing, ATR and Twin Otter operations.
Today, Indaer employs 45 full-time engineers, technicians and systems analysts who provide start-up and lease transition assistance; technical training; maintenance planning and oversight; in-service engineering; and field support for airlines and aircraft owners. The company has hangar facilities in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia, engineering offices in Colombia and Brazil, and sales offices in Canada and Switzerland. In 2009 Indaer supported customers from 11 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Viking received type certification for the new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 in June 2010, delivered the first production aircraft in July 2010, and currently has a production backlog estimated at over $200M through 2014. Viking provides OEM support for the worldwide fleet of de Havilland heritage line of aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7), and is part of Westerkirk Capital Inc., a Canadian private investment firm with substantial holdings in the hospitality, aviation and real estate sectors.
