Russia's Primorye talks with Viking Air re Twin Otter FAL ch-aviation PRO exclusive

Star Aviation (Algeria) (Hassi Messaoud) has taken delivery of its first DHC-6-400 following the arrival of 7T-VNN (msn 961) in Algeria in late November of last year. A new-build aircraft delivered from Viking Air, it joins the rest of the Algerian carrier's fleet of two DHC-6-300s which average 40 years of age.

A unit of RedMed Group, Star Aviation provides passenger and freight flights from Algeria's main aerodromes to various oil extraction sites in the country's southern Sahara region. Aside from the Twin Otters, it also operates PC-12s and Beech (twin turboprop) Super King Airs.

Luxury resort operator Soneva Holdings is planning to launch its own shuttle flights in the Maldives with a single DHC-6-200 in mid-December 2018, eTurboNews has reported.

The Maldivian company plans to deploy the aircraft, 1967 vintage N94MG (msn 45), between the international gateway at Malé and its two resorts in Baa Atoll and Noonu Atoll. The aircraft, previously in operation with Croatia's European Coastal Airlines, has been fully refurbished and currently seats just 10 passengers in VIP configuration. It will be operated on Soneva's behalf by Trans Maldivian Airways (HUM, Malé).

The Maldives is a busy Twin Otter market - the turboprops are used to ferry passengers between Malé and luxury resorts located at outlying islands without own commercial airports. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, there are sixty-two DHC-6s in all variants from -100s to -400s in service with Maldivian (Q2, Malé) and Trans Maldivian Airways.