Nigerian carrier Afrijet Airlines will purchase four ATR 72-500 aircraft for $60m as per a heads of agreement deal worth $80m.

The new aircraft have a high dispatch reliability of 99.5% as well as the flexibility to operate on short airfields, which will help the carrier strengthen its domestic network and expand its regional network to the surrounding areas.

Afrijet Airlines managing director Captain William Berry Noelle said that the ATRs will answer the need for aircraft with the lowest operating costs in the current economic environment.

“It also ensures the aircraft’s long-term success, even with expected increases in fuel costs,” said Noelle.

ATR CEO Stéphane Mayer said that since 2005, the company had sold almost 40 ATRs in the continent, while significantly expanding the list of ATR-500 series operators in Africa.”

ATR is a French regional aircraft manufacturer and is an equal partnership firm of Alenia Aeronautica and EADS.