(Trinidad Express) – European aircraft manufacturer ATR and Caribbean Airlines have signed an agreement for the purchase of nine new turbo-prop airplanes for the local carrier.
The agreement for the nine ATR 72-600 aircraft is a US$200 million order, ATR said in a statement on its website.
“The aircraft are configured with 68 seats and deliveries will start in 2011,” the company based in southern France said.
ATR said Caribbean Airlines will replace its current fleet of five Dash-8 300 aircraft, “while adding new frequencies linking Trinidad and Tobago and surrounding destinations”.
“In addition, several of the new ATRs will be operated in the route network of Air Jamaica— recently acquired by Caribbean Airlines,” ATR said.
The company quoted Caribbean Airlines chief executive officer Capt Ian Brunton on the deal yesterday.
“The acquisition of the ATR 72-600s will allow Caribbean Airlines to continue to develop and improve the offering to our customers. The low operating costs and fuel consumption of the aircraft are particularly appealing and provide us with tremendous flexibility in adding frequencies and developing new markets in the regional sectors,” Brunton was quoted as saying in the ATR press release.
Filippo Bagnato, ATR chief executive, said: “We are pleased to welcome Caribbean Airlines as a new member of the ATR family.”
Caribbean Airlines spokesperson at the airline’s Piarco head office, Laura Asbjornsen, did not respond to queries.
