Air Antilles has ordered two Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otters to replace ageing turboprops in its fleet.

The Guadeloupe-based carrier will take delivery of the 19-seat aircraft in the fourth quarter, Viking says. The DHC-6-400 is certificated for steep-approach landings where the glideslope exceeds 4.5˚, an operational capability the airline requires.

Air Antilles will use the aircraft to replace two DHC-6-300s with an average age of 38.7 years, Cirium's Fleets Analyzer shows.

"As travel tourism in the Caribbean expands, improvements to safety are becoming increasingly important for airlines to retain a competitive advantage," states David Caporali, regional sales director for the Americas at Viking. "The numerous improvements made to the new series 400 will help Air Antilles increase safety and bring added value to their flight operations."

Air Antilles will become the only DHC-6-400 operator in the Caribbean. Fleets Analyzer shows that there are 105 of the aircraft in service around the world.

The database lists nine aircraft in the carrier's fleet, including four ATR 42 turboprops and two ATR 72s.

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Source: Cirium Dashboard