Maldives' Villa Air to resume amphibious ops with DHC-6s

Villa Air (VP, Malé) has taken delivery of two DHC-6-300s, which it will use to resume seaplane operations after pausing them during the pandemic. ADS-B flight tracking data show N683AR (msn 683) ferried in to Malé on October 2 while N70AR (msn 773) ferried in on October 19. Both aircraft require modifications before they can undertake amphibious flying.

Maldivian media outlets reporting on the arrivals say Villa Air has sold most of its ATR - Avions de Transport Régional aircraft and will focus on seaplanes to meet growing demand for inter-island travel. According to ch-aviation fleets data, Villa Air operates one ATR72-500 and one ATR72-600 servicing Malé, Dharavandhoo Island, and Maamigili. The same data shows the carrier disposed of one ATR42-500 and one ATR72-500 in 2023. Villa's former seaplane, a Cessna (single turboprop) C208, 8Q-VAU (msn 20800550), has also been disposed of.

Villa Air Managing Director Abdulla Nashid told ch-aviation seaplane ops ended because of challenges at Malé International Airport. "For many years, we faced difficulty in securing the necessary land for seaplane docks and operational facilities," he said. "Despite our consistent requests and numerous attempts to engage with the relevant airport authorities, our efforts often went unanswered, leaving us unable to move forward as planned."

Nashid says those issues have now been resolved. Villa Air Pvt Ltd, dba as Villa Air and formerly known as FlyMe (Maldives), is part of the Villa Group of Companies, one of the country's largest business entities with interests across multiple sectors, including aviation and tourism.

Both Twin Otters were formerly owned by Twin Otter International. N683AR is 44.55 years old and N70AR is 43.35 years old. Both aircraft seat 19 passengers. Reportedly, the addition of the DHC-6-300s will allow Villa Air to scale up and diversify its service offerings.

Nashid says Villa Air’s ATR services will remain a part of the business. He says adding seaplanes will complement, not replace, the ATR services they currently offer.