If you are reading this for the first time, you may be planning a visit to the Maldives and using for a first time experience a Twin Otter floatplane, one of the deHavilland family of "bush" aircraft noted for their rugged construction and Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) performance. The deHavilland Twin Otter, also known as a DHC-6 in its civilian version, is a highly manoeuverable, versatile aircraft which can be flown slowly( 80-160 knots/ 150-300 km/hr) and in tight circles. It is a high wing, twin engine, turbo prop aircraft capable of carrying up to twenty passengers in the commuter role.

It has a wing span of 65 ft, a length of 51 ft 9 in, and a maximum take-off weight of 12,500 lbs.

Made by the deHavilland company of Canada, the deHavilland Canada DHC 6 Twin Otter was first flown in 1962 with deliveries beginning in 1966. Three production versions were offered during 22 years of production. The initial production version was designated the Series 100(TMA has one of them for executive charters), followed by the Series 200 and the Series 300(TMA has 16 of them). The Series 100 and Series 200 are better for inter-city commuter service, while the Series 300 was developed to offer increased payload capacity, higher cruising speeds, better hot weather performance and a short takeoff distance. Production ended in 1982 with more than 800 deliveries. TMA operates 16 DHC-6-300 and 1 DHC-6-100 all as sea-planes in the Maldives.

The history of the Twin Otter begins at deHavilland's first manufacturing plant in Downsview, Toronto. DeHavilland Canada (DHC) was incorporated March 5, 1928 as a subsidiary of British deHavilland Aircraft company. Britain wanted Canada to develop a strong airforce, so DHC went to work producing Moth aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAP). The company first produced the Moth aircraft for the British. After the Second World War, DHC began producing the Chipmunk all-metal trainer, which. was successfully sold in Canada and internationally. Chipmunks are still in use today. Then came the very rugged Beaver and the single-engine Otter. The need for a hardier, twin-engine aircraft resulted in the highly successful Twin Otter.

Today, the Twin Otter is used all over the world, in places where small, hardy aircraft are needed for various purposes. Equipped with wheel and ski combinations, they are the backbone of many Antarctic operations. Fitted with specialized equipment in the nature of magnetometers, ice depth radio echo sounders, gravimeters, ocean color sensors, specialized cameras, mapping equipment, military specification sonar, radar and scanning devices, the Twin Otter offers itself as a very stable and highly maneuverable platform for geological survey operations and military applications. And of course, equipped with floats, they serve as commuter planes, tourist transport and even as mobile health service units.

In the Maldives, the Twin Otter sea-plane has come into its own as the safest, fastest and most reliable form of travel between its many islands.   Male` has become the single largest base of Twin Otters with over 35 units operating out of 2 seaplane terminals to bring annually more than half of all the tourists visiting the Maldives to and from their Island Resorts with doorstep delivery and pick up.