Sky View
Insights and opinions on the industry’s hottest topics
By Jonathan Hinkles, 30-year UK airline executive
I recently had dinner in downtown Calgary at the De Havilland Canada All Operators’ Conference. Having taken on a new role as managing director of Isles of Scilly Skybus at the end of January, it was a great opportunity to meet with key suppliers and other airlines operating the Twin Otter.
My dinner hosts were from one of several companies based around Calgary who specialise in rebuilding and overhauling the Twin Otter, keeping these aircraft flying well past the age of 50. If only they could do hip and knee replacements our NHS waiting lists would be cleared in a flash. “What has he done now?” was my host’s exasperated comment in response to a news alert pinging on a phone. The notification heralded yet another change by US President Donald Trump to the US tariffregime, which has left Canada reeling and has very serious implications for the global aviation industry. Even here, the Twin Otter overhauls are dependent upon landing gear legs serviced in Florida, fuselage components from Texas and new avionics kit from Garmin in Kansas. And those are just the ones I can immediately recall from a long list. On top of the workload from the conference, my hosts spent several late nights working on the impact of the US tariffs on their business. Sending components away for exchange or overhaul will become much more expensive, depending on what tariffs Trump eventually decides to impose on Canada (and the rest of the world). If the overhauled Twin Otters take to the air again, these extra costs will be reflected in passenger ticket prices, even if those aircraft fly within the US.