In the 1960s, Belfast's Shorts Brothers observed a niche in the market for a new short-haul freighter aircraft, and responded with the Short Skyvan. The Skyvan is a 19-seater twin turboprop aircraft. It is used mainly for short-haul freight and skydiving. The first flight of the Skyvan, the Skyvan 1, was on 17 January 1963. The Skyvan is most remembered for its box-like, slab-sided appearance and equally rectangular twin tail units, but the plane was well loved for its performance and loading. Serving almost the same performance niche as the famous de Havilland Twin Otter, the Skyvan proved much more popular in the freighter market due to the large rear cargo door that allowed it to handle bulky loads with ease. Skyvans can still be found around the world today, notably in the Canadian arctic.