Viking and PAL Aerospace sign Aerial Firefighting System contract
Maryam Farag
Business Operations Aerospace aerospace aircraft Canada Economy firefighting manufacturer manufacturing Technology
Photo: PAL Aerospace Ltd.
Viking Air Ltd. and PAL Aerospace Canada established a contract to support the Twin Otter Fire Attack System.
The agreement’s scope includes the design, manufacturing, installation, and certification of the Aerial Firefighting System for the Twin Otter DHC-6 300 and 400 aircraft. It is anticipated that the Aerial Firefighting System will be certified in 2022 and an international customer will receive the first converted aircraft.
“PAL Aerospace is proud to partner with Viking on this exciting project that supports innovation, economic growth, and supply chains in Canada. As an established DHC-6 Twin Otter Operator, we know firsthand the capability and versatility of the aircraft and consider it a privilege to bring our comprehensive design, engineering and modification capabilities to bear in developing this new capability.” said Phillip Garbutt, Senior Vice-President of Global Support, PAL Aerospace.
The airtanker-configured Twin Otter aircraft will help mitigate and fight wildfires with the ability to drop up to 700 U.S. gallons of water or retardant in challenging environments.
“We are happy to work with PAL Aerospace to provide our operators the ability to utilize our DHC-6 Twin Otter for specialized aerial firefighting missions,” said Benjamin Carson, Director of Customer Support Operations, Viking. “As the OEM, we work to continuously enhance the aircraft we support, providing our customers with ongoing fleet sustainment activities and upgrades.”
