Fleet guide › DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Turboprop

DHC-6 Twin Otter 300

DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 exterior

Overview

The De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 is a legendary twin-turboprop STOL aircraft, purpose-built for the toughest airstrips on earth. It seats up to nineteen, takes off and lands in remarkably short distances, and handles gravel, sand, grass and high-altitude strips with ease. Across Africa it serves island hops, mountain strips and remote community routes that few other aircraft can reach, making it a specialist tool for genuinely demanding charter missions.

Key specifications

Manufactured by De Havilland Canada, 1965-1988, 2010-present.

Passengers
up to 18
Cruise speed
278 km/h
150 kt
Range
1,296 km
700 NM
Min runway
0.46 km
1,500 ft
Ceiling
7,620 m
25,000 ft
Baggage
1.5 m3
Airstrips
Paved & unpaved
DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 cabin interior

Detailed specifications

Years of manufacture
1965-1988, 2010-present
Number produced
1,100+
Max take-off weight
5,670 kg
Max payload
1,940 kg
Empty weight
3,363 kg
Crew
2
Engines
2 x P&WC PT6A-27 turboprops
Wingspan
19.81 m
Length
15.77 m

Chartering the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Africa

For charter across Africa, the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 is typically positioned from its home base to your departure airport, flown to your destination, and returned afterwards — the estimate you see on a route search already accounts for this full rotation. Whether it suits a given trip depends on the runway at each end, the distance, and how many seats you need. Search any route to see a live estimate for the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 alongside every other aircraft that can fly it, then send an enquiry to have operators confirm the exact price.

Get a route estimate ← Back to fleet guide

Images are representative of the aircraft type — the actual aircraft, cabin layout and interior finish depend on the operating carrier. Specifications are typical planning figures for charter use and vary by individual aircraft configuration. Charter prices are computed estimates confirmed by the operating carrier through the inquiry process.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charter a DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Africa?

The DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 is chartered as a whole aircraft, not per seat. Planning rates start around US$2,600 per occupied flight hour before airport, handling and navigation charges. On most African sectors the larger variable is positioning: if no DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 is sitting at your departure airport, the empty leg flown in to collect you is priced into the quote, which is why a short hop can cost more than its flight time suggests. Every route page on this site shows the all-in estimate rather than the bare hourly rate.

How many passengers can the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 carry?

Up to 18 passengers in the cabin layout typically offered for charter in Africa. Operators configure individual aircraft differently, so the usable seat count on the specific tail allocated to your trip is confirmed at quote stage, along with baggage allowance, which is usually the binding limit on safari and golf trips rather than seats.

What is the range of the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300?

The DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 plans to roughly 700 nautical miles (about 1,296 km) with normal reserves. From its Nairobi base that reaches scheduled airports in 9 African countries without a fuel stop. Hot and high departures, strong headwinds and a full cabin all reduce that figure, so longer sectors are planned with a technical stop where needed.

Which African airports can the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 use?

It needs roughly 1,500 ft of paved runway at typical charter weights. On our airport data that covers 364 of the 394 African airports with scheduled service, before allowing for elevation, temperature and runway condition on the day. Its short-field performance also opens up regional and bush strips that jets cannot use, which is what makes it the workhorse for safari and remote-site flying.

Where is the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 based in Africa?

DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 aircraft in our fleet data are based at Nairobi, Zanzibar. Departing from or near one of those cities keeps positioning cost down, because the aircraft does not have to fly an empty leg to reach you.

Powered by