Mandarin Airlines, the regional subsidiary of Taiwan’s national carrier, China Airlines, has placed an order for six new aircraft.

The new ATR 72-600 are valued at US$160 million and will become the first turboprop aircraft in the airline’s fleet. They will come equipped with 70 seats in a single-class layout, with deliveries expected to commence in 2018.

“We are honoured by the decision of China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines, who have conducted a very thorough and comprehensive evaluation of alternatives for their regional network in Taiwan. The outcome proves once again that when assessed competitively, the ATR 72-600 logically prevails in the eyes of the most discerning airlines,” said Christian Scherer, CEO of ATR.

The six new aircraft will join Mandarin Airlines’ fleet of eight aircraft, which currently comprises six Embraer E190s and two Boeing 737s.