Latest news with #TwinOtter
Borneo Post
03-08-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
MASwings to offer daily Miri-Long Banga flights starting Aug 8
A MASwings Twin Otter aircraft. – File photo MIRI (Aug 3): MASwings is enhancing air connectivity to the interior with the addition of two more weekly direct flights between Miri and Long Banga, bringing the total frequency to a daily service effective Aug 8. The new flights, scheduled on Mondays and Fridays, will complement the existing services on Thursdays and Saturdays, and three transit flights, offering greater convenience and accessibility for travellers, particularly local residents. MASwings chief operating officer Suresh Singam said the airline remains committed to serving the socio-economic needs of rural populations in East Malaysia. 'By introducing two additional weekly flights, we are proud to now offer daily services between Miri and Long Banga, a significant milestone in rural air connectivity. 'This initiative would not have been possible without the continued support and approval of the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, for which we are truly grateful. 'We believe this enhancement will not only facilitate easier travel, but also improve access to essential services, strengthen community ties, and uplift the quality of life for residents in this region,' he said in a statement. Previously, rural communities in Long Banga had long appealed for additional flights, citing the high cost and long journey via logging roads between their settlement and Miri. Travelling by four-wheel drive can take up to 10 hours depending on road conditions. flights lead Long Banga maswings miri
Borneo Post
03-08-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
MASwings increases Miri-Long Banga flights to daily service starting Aug 8
A MASwings Twin Otter aircraft. – File photo MIRI (Aug 3): MASwings is enhancing air connectivity to the interior with the addition of two more weekly flights between Miri and Long Banga, bringing the total frequency to a daily service effective Aug 8. The new flights, scheduled on Mondays and Fridays, will complement the existing services on Thursdays and Saturdays, offering greater convenience and accessibility for travellers, particularly local residents. MASwings chief operating officer Suresh Singam said the airline remains committed to serving the socio-economic needs of rural populations in East Malaysia. 'By introducing two additional weekly flights, we are proud to now offer daily services between Miri and Long Banga, a significant milestone in rural air connectivity. 'This initiative would not have been possible without the continued support and approval of the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, for which we are truly grateful. 'We believe this enhancement will not only facilitate easier travel, but also improve access to essential services, strengthen community ties, and uplift the quality of life for residents in this region,' he said in a statement. Previously, rural communities in Long Banga had long appealed for additional flights, citing the high cost and long journey via logging roads between their settlement and Miri. Travelling by four-wheel drive can take up to 10 hours depending on road conditions. flights lead Long Banga maswings miri
Toronto Star
29-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
CCC, DHC and USAF team up to provide vital aircraft to Guatemala
OTTAWA, Ontario, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CCC is pleased to announce that it has finalized a contract with the United States Air Force (USAF) to supply a Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft to the government of Guatemala. The aircraft sale, announced by De Havilland Canada (DHC) at the Paris airshow in June, will enable medical evacuation, disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations. CCC's contract with USAF supports the U.S. Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program that provides security assistance and cooperation to partner nations. The Twin Otter Classic 300-G is the latest generation of De Havilland Canada's iconic utility aircraft. Designed for short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations, the aircraft is ideal for reaching remote and hard-to-access regions — a key requirement for humanitarian missions. The Twin Otter is operated by more than 60 military and government organizations worldwide. It has earned a reputation as one of the world's most dependable aircraft, with more than 160 million flight hours to date.
Winnipeg Free Press
12-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Chiming in with chorus of caring
Forty years ago — on July 13, 1985 — Live Aid rocked the world to raise funds for millions of starving people in Ethiopia. And a Manitoban helped make it happen. That Manitoban was William Rew. He was the pilot who flew a BBC film crew into what was considered the epicentre of the famine in the fall of 1984 so they could provide the world with its first view of the terrible suffering unfolding in that country. It was that coverage which led to Live Aid. At the time, Rew was on a voluntary year's leave as a pilot from Air Canada, which had a surplus of pilots at the time. Rew, who had always wanted to spend time in Africa, took the offer and signed up with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), an international Christian organization that provides aviation and communication services for remote communities in the Global South. SUPPLIED William and Leona Rew 'MAF needed pilots to help with flying relief supplies in Ethiopia,' said Rew, 72, who grew up in a devout Plymouth Brethren family. 'They had four criteria for pilots: We had to give a year, be single, have experience on de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft and be a person of faith. I checked all the boxes.' Rew went to Ethiopia in the fall of 1983 with MAF to fly food to starving people in remote parts of the country. 'It was difficult flying,' he said of how he made five or six trips a day to isolated communities with only grass or dirt landing strips. 'The airplanes took a real pounding.' The BBC trip came near the end of his year there. Together with co-pilot Keith Ketchum, another Canadian, they flew the reporting crew to Korem in the northern part of Ethiopia on Oct. 19, 1984. 'It was just another day at work in Ethiopia,' Rew said, adding he had never been to Korem, as it was too dangerous — it was in the heart of the nation's civil war. They dropped off the BBC crew, including TV reporter Michael Buerk, camera operator Mohammed Amin and radio reporter Mike Wooldridge, then flew on to another remote town before returning a day later to pick them up. SUPPLIED William Rew (right) with a co-pilot in Ethiopia. After flying back to the capital, Addis Ababa, Rew and Ketchum said goodbye to the BBC crew and went back to their regular work. Shortly after, Rew completed his time with MAF and went on an extended and news-free holiday in Europe before returning to Canada in mid-November. When he arrived back in Winnipeg, he was surprised to find the Ethiopian famine all over the news because of that BBC report, which aired on Oct. 23, 1984. The graphic reporting showed what BBC radio reporter Wooldridge described as 'Hell on Earth,' a place where thousands were dying every week due to drought, war and neglect by the country's then Marxist government. It was only then that Rew understood the impact of what he had been part of. 'There was a firestorm of media attention about it when I got home,' he said. 'The media was lining up to hear my story.' It was a significant contrast to six months earlier, when Rew had come home to Winnipeg on furlough. At that time, nobody was talking about the millions of people starving in Ethiopia. 'It was very obvious there was a big change as a result of that BBC report,' Rew said. One of the people who saw that report was Bob Geldof, then a member of Irish band the Boomtown Rats. Galvanized by what he saw, Geldof, along with musician Midge Ure, came up with the idea for Band Aid, which found some of the decade's biggest musical stars joining together to record Do They Know It's Christmas? to raise money for famine relief. SUPPLIED Food being unloaded from an MAF plane in Ethiopia As a followup, they organized Live Aid, which took place nine months later in London and Philadelphia, and was broadcast to more than 150 countries where it was seen by 1.5 billion people. Bands and musicians who participated included U2, Queen, Dire Straits, the Who, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Run-D.M.C., Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Judas Priest, the Beach Boys, Bryan Adams and many others. Altogether, Band Aid and Live Aid raised more than US$150 million for famine victims in Ethiopia. Now, at the 40th anniversary of that historic event, Rew is reflective. 'I ended up flying to the perfect place in Ethiopia to shock the world into doing something about the famine,' he said. 'It's a huge part of my memory. I remember it every time Oct. 19 rolls around.' He also recalls the many experiences he had in Ethiopia while flying in life-saving food. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. 'That was the only time in my life when I kept a diary,' Rew said, adding he didn't take many pictures. 'I felt uncomfortable taking photos of people who were suffering. It didn't seem right.' Today Rew is retired after a 41-year career with Air Canada and lives in the city with his wife, Leona. They are members of St. Margaret's Anglican Church. Looking back, he thinks about how small acts, like being the pilot for that world-changing flight, can have a big impact. Rusty Kennedy / The Associated Press files Tina Turner and Mick Jagger perform together at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in July 1985 which raised funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. 'Maybe it can provide hope to others who think change isn't possible,' he said. 'No matter how hopeless it looks to us, change can happen. And when the world puts its mind to it, which they did after the BBC documentary, things like famines can be overcome.' Faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Borneo Post
25-06-2025
- Borneo Post
Bario STOLport upgrading project ahead of schedule
(From fourth left) Lee, Gerawat and others give their thumb-up to the progress of the upgrading project for the STOLport. MIRI (June 25): The upgrading project for the Bario Short Take-Off and Landing Airport (STOLport) has reached 30.46 per cent completion as of May this year, surpassing its original schedule of 26.63 per cent by 3.83 per cent, said state Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin. Lee, who conducted a working visit to the project site yesterday, said the project is scheduled for completion by March 3, 2026, and is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and safety levels of the STOLport. 'Once completed, the upgraded facility will allow Twin Otter aircraft to operate at full capacity, carrying up to 19 passengers per flight,' he said. 'Currently, due to safety regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), flights are restricted to carrying only nine passengers.' The ongoing upgrade includes runway extension and resurfacing, which will support higher passenger load and improve the aircraft's weight-bearing capability. 'This will significantly benefit the rural community in Bario, particularly by improving air connectivity and service capacity,' Lee added. However, he acknowledged that unpredictable weather remains a major challenge for flight operations in Bario, with all flights restricted to departure before 4pm daily due to cloud cover. 'To accommodate more passengers during festive seasons such as Pesta Nukenen and Christmas, we will be discussing possible solutions with local assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala, including increasing flight frequency,' he said. Adding on, Lee noted that the STOLport remains a vital lifeline for the highland region, providing access to healthcare, education, essential goods, economic activities, and tourism, especially given the limited road access. 'Hence, it is the priority of the ministry and elected representatives to ensure that this facility remains safe, efficient, and responsive to the people's needs at all times.' The project is being implemented with over RM20 million in funding from the federal government through the federal Ministry of Transport. The main scope of work involves extending the current 671-metre runway to 930 metres with a width of 18 metres, allowing for full-load take-offs including baggage. Other components include resurfacing the original runway to enhance durability, constructing a new clearway to improve take-off performance, installing a new perimeter fence, wind direction indicator, and an Automated Weather System (AWS) for better weather monitoring and flight planning. Minor repairs to the terminal building are also being carried out. 'These upgrades are expected to boost the safety, reliability, and continuity of flight operations in highland areas like Bario, especially in challenging weather conditions,' said Lee. He added that his ministry has also submitted a proposal for additional federal funding to construct a dual-use aircraft parking apron capable of accommodating two DHC6 Twin Otters and two EC175 helicopters, as well as a new connecting taxiway. He said further proposals include resurfacing the parking area in front of the terminal building to improve user convenience and enhance the airport's appearance. 'These enhancements are crucial to ensuring the STOLport meets higher operational standards and offers better comfort to users.' Lee also expressed appreciation to all parties involved in the project, particularly the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak as the implementing agency for their commitment to timely and safe project execution. He also thanked CAAM for ensuring regulatory compliance and certification, along with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) for overseeing daily operations at the STOLport. Air travel Bario STOLport lead Lee Kim Shin rural community
