Rosneft taking delivery of Twin Otters

Photo by Russian Aviation Insider

Corporate operator of Rosneft oil company, RN-Aircraft is progressing in taking delivery of ten new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft under contract with Canadian Viking Air signed August 25 this year, as follows from reports on Rosneft’s official website. According to industry sources, RN-Aircraft will complete acceptance procedures before year-end and start operating first Twin Otters early next year.

The aircraft are given over to the customer at Viking Air’s base at Victoria Airport in British Columbia. The final stage of acceptance after ferry flight to Russia will take place in Yemelyanovo Airport, Krasnoyarsk.

The schedule calls for delivery of all ten aircraft within November 2015 to December 2016 timeframe. A separate contract valued at almost 18 million rubles ($290,000) includes work of two engineers and a pilot.

At least one of the aircraft is currently being painted in Rosneft livery in preparation for delivery process, industry sources say. The DHC-6s will be configured with different versions of undercarriage, including ski, and 19-seat passenger cabins. The purchase contract’s assumed maximum value stands at $79.62 million for the ten aircraft.

RN-Aircraft does not have an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) of its own, so the aircraft will be operated by an independent operator, which has not yet been chosen. It is highly probable, that participation in the competition will be offered to Chukotavia (operates four DHC-6s), Aurora (operates two) and two more airlines based in Krasnoyarsk, that do not have aircraft of this type I their fleet: Turukhan and AeroGeo.

DHC-6s will be used for cutting costs of cargo and shift personnel transportation in Krasnoyarsk region, Rosneft said in August. The aircraft may also be used in neighboring areas, such as Yakutia.