Testimonial: Franck Benoit, Head of Market Sales France/Europe, Air Caraïbes

"Air Caraïbes and French Guiana began in 2008 with the opening of the Paris-Cayenne route. Since then, the link has gone from strength to strength, as we have accompanied the growth of the region and the mobility needs of our leisure, tourism and business customers. French Guiana is a destination that is still often overlooked, but which is now at the heart of the Air Caraïbes network. So it was an obvious choice, and one we were proud of, to support this annual event [the AJT General Meeting, editor's note]. Today, nearly 1,200 people proudly work for a Caribbean airline specialising in the Caribbean and French Guiana, a large proportion of whom are based in the French Overseas Territories. With the pride of embodying Caribbean hospitality from the moment they board.

Air Caraïbes carried some 140,000 passengers between Paris and Cayenne over the last 12 months, representing 10% of our volume. With 4 flights a week and one daily in high season, we have 45% of the seat capacity on this route compared with Air France, which flies from Roissy-CDG. This service is primarily used by people visiting family or friends. Orly airport is convenient for the Guyanese community, which is particularly well established in the south of the capital. There is also significant business traffic, especially from space-related companies such as Ariane Group, Arianespace, the European Space Agency, CNES and Airbus. They travel mainly in Madras class, our Business class, or in Caribbean class, our Premium Economy class. Finally, pure leisure traffic is growing at the destination, with the Guiana Tourism Committee being particularly dynamic and setting ambitious visitor numbers targets.

We deeply believe in the development of tourism in French Guyana, which requires an approach that respects its identity, its biodiversity and its culture. 17 years after the opening of the Paris-Cayenne route, Air Caraïbes' commitment remains intact. We have a mission in the French Overseas Territories: we want to create links and tell people about the region".