  | Soneva has announced that it will soon be unveiling its new 10-seater, Twin Otter seaplane in the Maldives. The DHC-6 Twin Otter, which normally seats 19, has been completely overhauled by the IKHANA Group in Canada and professionally painted with Soneva’s striking branding in a rich purple, with a bespoke and luxurious Soneva chrome and purple soft leather interior. The new plane, which is likely to be in operation by mid-December, will be transporting Soneva guests to and from Malé international airport to Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani. The aircraft has been customised to meet Soneva’s highest standards with the interior panels designed to provide a smoother, cleaner look from the typical commuter interior. The seats have been reupholstered using Elmosoft leather in Soneva purple with a floor covering that mimics slate. The aircraft has 10 VIP seats (eight front facing and two rear facing), with two additional fold down seats plus two pilot seats. There are also signature Soneva touches such as handcrafted lighting. “This is a very welcome addition to our operations in the Maldives, as it will help to even further elevate the guest experience,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Joint Creative Director. “The plane will be exclusively reserved for Soneva guests, which means that we can be quite flexible with regards to the operating schedule and luggage limits, which we hope will be good news for our guests. We’ve been working on the design of this plane for a long time to ensure the specifications and finishes are of the highest quality, so we’re delighted to soon begin offering this transfer option to our guests.” |
Twin Otter planes are the best performing aircraft for operation in the Maldives due to their short take-off and landing (STOL) abilities, which makes them ideal float planes as they lift off the water faster. DHC-6 Twin Otters have an average range of 1,427 km, a top speed of 296 km/h, a cruise speed of 278 km/h and a wingspan of 20 metres.
This model of aircraft’s fixed tricycle undercarriage, exceptional safety record, twin turboprop engines and high climb rate have made it a successful commuter passenger airliner as well as a cargo and medevac aircraft. The Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the United States Air Force's 98th Flying Training Squadron.
Soneva’s plane is currently enroute from Canada across Greenland to Iceland in one hop, then through Europe and the Middle East, before landing in the Maldives.
The cost of the seaplane transfer will be USD 1,100 return from Male’ to Soneva Fushi or Soneva Jani.
For more information about Soneva, visit www.soneva.com
This model of aircraft’s fixed tricycle undercarriage, exceptional safety record, twin turboprop engines and high climb rate have made it a successful commuter passenger airliner as well as a cargo and medevac aircraft. The Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the United States Air Force's 98th Flying Training Squadron.
Soneva’s plane is currently enroute from Canada across Greenland to Iceland in one hop, then through Europe and the Middle East, before landing in the Maldives.
The cost of the seaplane transfer will be USD 1,100 return from Male’ to Soneva Fushi or Soneva Jani.
For more information about Soneva, visit www.soneva.com
