Mahindra Aerospace, Canada’s Viking Air sign MoU to manufacture small aircraft

Mahindra Aerospace and Canada’s Viking Air have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance for making smaller aircraft to support regional air connectivity in India.

The pact was signed during the ongoing India visit of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to India.

“Under this alliance, Mahindra Aerospace and Viking will work together to support each other’s non-competing aircraft business to boost market penetration in identified territories and provide potential customers with multiple options based on specific operational requirements,” said a statement from Mahindra Aerospace.

Viking produces the Twin Otter Series 400, a 19-passenger, twin-engine utility turboprop aircraft that is capable of operating from multiple surfaces (including water). Mahindra Aerospace produces the 8-seat utility piston aircraft, the Mahindra Airvan 8, and the 10-seat turboprop utility aircraft, the Mahindra Airvan 10 and will in due course also launch these aircraft in Ski and Float versions

“In India, this portfolio can address the much needed requirements of regional connectivity, where this range of aircraft offers a very suitable solution and desired boost to the UDAN scheme introduced by theGovernment of India,” said SP Shukla, Chairman, Mahindra Aerospace.

“Viking sees enormous market potential for the Series 400 Twin Otter in India, with a particular emphasis on the seaplane variant as it provides an unmatched transportation solution for servicing India’s thousands of kilometers of coastline and river systems,” said David Curtis, CEO of Viking Air.