An Air Caraïbes aircraft carrying almost 200 passengers on a Paris-Toulouse flight: the rather surprising scene took place on 1 March at Orly airport. However, there was no declaration of war against Hop! Perhaps just a thumbing of the nose at its parent company Air France... In fact, the Dubreuil group was there to show off the airline's brand new aircraft, a pioneer in France on the A350 project.
Guests on this express round trip between Paris and Toulouse - partners, customers, journalists and a number of West Indian artists such as Jacob Desvarieux (Kassav), comedian Laurence Joseph and Loïc Lery, author of the book Le gang des Antillais - were able to discover Air Caraïbes' new flagship: theA350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body) received the day before by the company from the Toulouse-basedAirbus. While Marc Rochet, Chairman of the Air Caraïbes Management Board, refutes any comparison with Air France on this issue, the pride of the teams was palpable as they boarded the new aircraft. Once seated in Madras class, the leap forward made by the airline is clear. A total of 18 full-flat seats, reclining 180 degrees, have been installed in the Air Caraïbes business cabin. Each of them features a 43 cm diagonal HD touch-screen video display, coupled with a remote control.
In sun class, the space between seats is logically reduced - 81 cm, compared with 155 cm at the front - to accommodate 326 passengers, as is the size of the screen (25 cm). Nevertheless, the guests at this full-scale test were unanimous in their praise for the comfort of the various cabins. With a special mention for the entertainment system. " The screen is really impressive "says Florent, a publisher based in Lamentin. Some of his books are also available in the IFE's integrated "reading corner" ("Inflight entertainment"), which offers comfortable, tactile consultation. The same applies to travellers' personal files, which can be viewed on the screen simply by plugging in a USB key or external hard drive. What's more, the tool will soon offer an in-flight connection, further enhancing the quality of the service.
A total of seven aircraft have been ordered by the group, which will receive a second A350 XWB at the end of March. The Orly-Antilles route will thus see Air Caraïbes offer increased capacity (+7%), while enabling the airline to make fuel savings. The A350 is distinguished by its low fuel consumption, which should help to reduce its carbon footprint and thus generate substantial savings: a must for a carrier that stands out for its profitability in the French airline industry.
