Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines signed a firm order in late September covering nine ATR 72-600s worth some $200 million at list prices. To come configured in a 68-seat layout starting in late 2011, the airplanes will replace five de Havilland Dash 8-300s and allow Caribbean Airlines to add frequencies between Trinidad and Tobago and surrounding destinations. Plans call for several of the airplanes to operate in the route network of Air Jamaica, recently acquired by Caribbean Airlines.

ATR now counts more than 160 aircraft in operation and on order with nearly 30 airlines in the Caribbean and Latin American region. 

“The Caribbean and Latin American area has been an important market for ATR and we see strong potential for further increase in the regional fleets and networks,” said ATR CRO Filippo Bagnato. “We also see this agreement with Caribbean Airlines as an important step with great potential for further cooperation to expand our MRO and training resources in the region.”

Caribbean Airlines began operations on Jan. 1, 2007 and now serves 13 markets in the Caribbean, South America and North America, operating a core schedule of 530 weekly departures with a fleet of eight Boeing 737-800s and the five Dash 8-300s. 

Caribbean Airlines completed its acquisition of Air Jamaica in April. The company’s Air Jamaica operation serves four destinations in the U.S. and Canada along with Granada and the Bahamas with a fleet of six Airbus A320-family jets.