Canada's Viking Air and Mahindra Aerospace of Bengaluru, India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a strategic alliance to seize opportunities arising out of India’s growing regional air connectivity requirements. The MoU was signed during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trip to India.

The two companies believe their complementary resources can form the basis for a mutually beneficial collaboration to develop regional air transportation solutions.

Under this alliance, Mahindra Aerospace and Viking will support each other’s non-competing aircraft businesses to boost market penetration in identified territories and provide potential customers with multiple options based on specific operational requirements.

Viking produces the Twin Otter Series 400, a 19-passenger, twin-engine utility turboprop aircraft, capable of operating in extreme environments from multiple landing surfaces, including water. The seaplane variant is seen as offering the greatest potential in the Indian market. Mahindra Aerospace currently produces the Airvan 8, an 8-seat utility piston aircraft, and the Airvan 10, a 10-seat utility turboprop aircraft, and plans to offer ski and float-equipped variants of both aircraft in due course.

The partners believe that the multiple seating and landing gear configurations of the Airvan 8, Airvan 10, and Twin Otter Series 400 offered through Viking and Mahindra Aerospace provide solutions that are especially well-suited to India’s varied geography, operating conditions, and regional connectivity requirements.

The Indian government's Regional Connectivity Scheme, called UDAN, which aims to boost economic development, employment and tourism by connecting small and remote cities, was launched in May last year.