Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of its first De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G, a compact aircraft designed for short regional routes and remote airfields. The new plane is the first of two ordered by Africa’s largest airline at the Paris Air Show in 2025.

The carrier says the aircraft will support the expansion of regional connections and improve access to hard-to-reach parts of Ethiopia and East Africa. It adds a new type to a fleet better known for long-haul international services, giving it more flexibility on shorter domestic and regional sectors.

The Twin Otter is widely used for operations in areas where larger aircraft cannot easily land. For Ethiopian Airlines, the delivery marks another step in its push to strengthen its role as a regional hub and extend air links beyond major city airports.

The order was announced during the Paris Air Show, one of the aviation industry’s biggest annual events, where airlines and manufacturers often use the platform to unveil new deals. Ethiopian Airlines did not provide a delivery schedule for the second aircraft in the source material, but the first handover shows the airline is moving ahead with the plan.

The DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G is built for versatility and is known for taking off and landing on short, unimproved runways. That makes it suitable for locations where road travel is difficult or slow, especially in regions with limited infrastructure.

Ethiopian Airlines’ use of the aircraft could help open up new tourism and business connections in areas that have been difficult to serve by air. Better links may also support local communities by improving access to markets, services and onward connections through the airline’s main network.

The airline already operates one of the most extensive route networks in Africa. The addition of a small regional aircraft gives it another tool for serving destinations that do not need larger jets but still depend on reliable air service.