Another Caribbean Order for Austal

Another Caribbean Order for Austal

Guadeloupe-based ferry operator L'Express des Iles has selected Austal to design and construct two 47 m high speed catamaran ferries. The order, worth about US $29.5 million, is for one vehicle-passenger ferry and one passenger ferry, and is the company's third contract with Austal since 1997. The vessels are intended to operate from Guadeloupe to the Caribbean islands of Marie Galante, Dominique, Martinique and St Lucia, where they will provide an important inter-island link for tourism and trade. The vehicle ferry will have the capacity for 364 passengers and 10 cars. The passenger ferry will have the capacity for 437 passengers. Both vessels will have a maximum speed of more than 32 knots and are designed to also carry cargo.

Austal is also building four 41 m high speed passenger ferries for the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO) in Trinidad and Tobago, scheduled for delivery later this year.