Viking Air and Tara Air of Kathmandu, Nepal, have signed a multi-aircraft purchase agreement for three Viking Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft to be delivered between September 2016 and early 2017.
The three Series 400 Twin Otters will be delivered in regional commuter configuration and will be added to Tara Air’s existing fleet of Series 400 and legacy Twin Otter aircraft as part of their expansion plan to offer the widest passenger connectivity to the remote rural regions of Nepal.
Tara Air selected the Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft due to the modifications incorporated in the new aircraft that vastly improve safety for operations in the mountainous regions of the country.
“To have Tara Air return to Viking to purchase additional Series 400 Twin Otters is a testament to the quality of the aircraft and its ability to reliably operate in the remote regions of Nepal,” commented Peter Walker, Viking’s regional sales director for Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He added, “Operating aircraft in Nepal poses a challenge due to the extreme conditions in which the aircraft must perform, so to have Tara Air select the Series 400 to expand their fleet just goes to show it’s the best aircraft for the job.”
Tara Air was established in 2009 as a sister company to Yeti Airlines, and is the newest and biggest airline service provider in the Nepalese mountains. The company started business with the mission of helping develop the rural Nepal, and has concentrated service in the hills and mountains of the country from the Far East to the Far West. Tara Air currently operates a fleet of several STOL aircraft, comprised of Series 400 Twin Otters, legacy de Havilland Series 400 Twin Otters, and Dornier 228 aircraft.