A historic milestone for Africa occurred this month with the arrival of a new De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300G Twin Otter Classic—the first of its kind on the continent—which made a long delivery flight from Canada.

Refurbished Twin Otter

At the 2025 Paris Air Show, manufacturer De Havilland Canada made official Ethiopian Airlines’ order for two aircraft of this type, making it one of the launch customers. The Twin Otter 300G is a modernized version of the iconic Twin Otter, first introduced in 1962.

The key differences between the original Twin Otter and the modernized Twin Otter, known as the 300G Classic, are centered on a significant technological upgrade to digital systems, weight optimization, and improved operational efficiency, while maintaining the aircraft’s robust structure and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities, necessary to operate reliably in remote and challenging environments.

In addition to Ethiopian Airlines, Zimex Aviation, the Guatemalan Air Force, and SATENA—from Switzerland, Guatemala, and Colombia, respectively—are among the launch customers for the Twin Otter Classic, which will join the many original Twin Otters already in service worldwide. Earlier this year, after six decades of production, De Havilland reached a milestone: 1,000 Twin Otters built.

Guatemalan Air Force’s Twin Otter Classic

The trip to Ethiopia

At 08:28 local time on June 12th, Ethiopian Airlines’ first De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300G Twin Otter Classic departed Calgary bound for Saskatoon, where it landed at 10:13 local time after a 1-hour, 45-minute flight. This was the shortest leg of the trip, covering 520 kilometers.

That same day, the crew then flew the longest one, which was from Saskatoon to Iqaluit.

They departed at 11:40 local time from John G. Diefenbaker International Airport in Saskatoon and arrived at 23:33 local time in Iqaluit—almost 10 hours later. The flight covered 2,545 kilometers, ending just 820 kilometers away from Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

Its first stop in Europe was in Iceland, specifically at Reykjavik Domestic Airport, located in the city center.

On June 13th at 22:16 local time, the Twin Otter flying from Iqaluit landed in the Icelandic capital after a flight of 7 hours and 33 minutes, having covered over 2,200 kilometers. It arrived less than an hour before the airport’s closing time; the airport typically ends commercial operations at 20:30 but remains open until 23:00.

The next morning, the crew continued their journey to Ethiopia, with the Reykjavik–Prague flight being the next leg—another of the longest on their route.

At 09:59 local time they departed from Reykjavik, heading for Vaclav Havel International Airport, where they landed at 20:00 local time following an eight-hour flight. They covered nearly 2,650 kilometers, flying at 11,000 feet.

On June 15th at 10:54 local time, the plane took off from the Czech capital to Kos, one of the Greek islands located in the Mediterranean Sea. The flight lasted 5 hours and 45 minutes, landing at 17:39 local time, having flown 1,800 kilometers.

This was Ethiopian Airlines’ first flight to Kos; Athens is its only regular destination in Greece, where it currently operates five weekly flights to and from Addis Ababa using Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Following a nearly five-day stay on the Greek island, the crew continued their trip to Addis Ababa, departing for Jeddah on June 19th at 08:56 local time and arriving in the Saudi city at 16:38 after an eight-hour flight.

Having flown over Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea, Ethiopian Airlines’ first Twin Otter Classic, still bearing the Canadian registration C-FHYC, landed at Bole Airport in Addis Ababa on June 20th at 12:13 local time.

The journey lasted eight days, covering over 12,000 kilometers. The flight time totaled more than 45 hours, with the Saskatoon–Iqaluit leg being the longest—a flight that did not leave the country, in this case Canada.

Calgary – Saskatoon – Iqaluit – Reykjavik – Prague – Kos – Jeddah – Addis Ababa was the entire route between Canada and Ethiopia. The second Twin Otter Classic that Ethiopian will add to its fleet in the near future will also be delivered from Calgary, which means it will follow a similar route.

With the introduction of the two De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300G Twin Otter Classic aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines plans to expand its domestic connectivity in Ethiopia and provide easier access to remote areas, as well as operate domestic tourist flights. At the time of publication, the aircraft had completed a 30-minute test flight on the Addis Ababa – Addis Ababa route on June 22nd and is expected to enter regular service soon.

Between the 1980s and the 2010s, Ethiopian Airlines operated De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters, owning seven during that period, although not all of them were in service throughout those years. The first, as well as the next five, were added to the fleet in 1985, with the last one joining in 1987. Three of them were later transferred to the Ethiopian Air Force, where they are still in service.

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