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 late next year, 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.

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.