Air Caraïbes is in the news this December with a host of new routes...
Franck Benoit - On 12 December we relaunched our service to Saint-Martin with 3 weekly flights operated by A330-200 to Princess Juliana airport in the Dutch part of the Caribbean island. However, this route will be seasonal, operating until May before resuming next winter. It will complement the 8 flights a day operated during the high season from Guadeloupe to Grand-Case L'Espérance airport on the French side. This provides good connections to Pointe-à-Pitre with our flights from Paris, as well as an entry or exit at either of the two airports, bearing in mind that a passport is required at Princess Juliana. Since 15 December, Air Caraïbes has also been operating 2 weekly flights, on Mondays and Fridays, to Samana, a town in the north-east of the Dominican Republic which is experiencing a boom in tourism and is home to a large French community.
Has the "Rep Dom" become an important destination for Air Caraïbes?
Franck Benoit - Yes, Air Caraïbes has always had a presence in the Dominican Republic after Air France withdrew. In addition to Samana, we operate a daily flight to Punta Cana and 2 flights a week to the capital Santo Domingo. Service to Haiti on the other part of the island has been discontinued, but we have signed a code share agreement with Sunrise Airways between Point-à-Pitre and Cap Haïtien.
Why have you increased the number of agreements with other carriers?
Franck Benoit - These partnerships enable us to expand our network without having to use our fleet. In addition to Sunrise Airways, in September Air Caraïbes joined forces with Caribbean Airlines to offer flights and connections from Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France to Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia. As well as providing better access to the islands of the Southern Caribbean from Paris-Orly, the advantage also lies in a single ticket for passengers and end-to-end baggage check-in in both directions. We also have agreements with Volotea to Italy and other European regional capitals, Air Corsica to Corsica, ITA Airways on Paris-Milan and Iberia for his Paris-Madrid.
What is the strength of Air Caraïbes today?
Franck Benoit - Air Caraïbes and its little sister French Bee belong to the Dubreuil Group, a family-owned group from Vendée which is fully committed to the development of its airline Dubreuil Aéro Services. Air Caraïbes' strength lies in facilitating travel between mainland France, the French Overseas Territories and the rest of the Caribbean thanks to our regional network connected from Pointe-à-Pitre airport. We currently have 16 long-haul aircraft, including six A350-900s or A350-1000s for French Beeour low-cost airline created in 2017. Our recent fleet is one of the most economical on the market, resulting in 25% less fuel consumption and the same for carbon emissions.
What are your main lines today?
Franck Benoit - Guadeloupe, with its Paris - Pointe-à-Pitre service, is leading the way, followed by Martinique with its Paris - Fort-de-France service, and then the Dominican Republic as a whole. Since the end of 2022, Air Caraïbes has also been serving Cancun in Mexico with 3 to 4 flights a week from Orly airport. Not forgetting Cayenne in French Guiana where we offer 4 flights a week and one daily in high season. The airline holds 45% of the seat capacity on this route compared with Air France, which flies from Roissy-CDG. There is a lot of business traffic on this route, thanks in particular to the companies operating from the Kourou space centre, whose staff benefit from negotiated fares.
Where does French Bee fit in?
Franck Benoit - French Bee is our long-haul low-cost carrier. It has a good fare positioning without being discount. For passengers looking for the best fare, this airline offers good comfort at a low price, with 440 seats in Eco and 40 in Premium Economy. With two daily services between Orly and Saint-Denis de la Réunion, for example, we have over 25% of the seat capacity on this route, ahead of Corsair and Air Austral. On Papeete, a route where air fares have long remained high, French Bee has been able to make the difference. Especially as our 3 weekly routes are operated via San Francisco whereas our competitors fly via Los Angeles. In recent years, the airline has seen strong growth in the United States, now offering services from Orly to New York, Miami, San Francisco and, seasonally, Los Angeles.
Do you have business travellers on French Bee?
Franck Benoit - Yes, absolutely. Some companies, small and medium-sized businesses, but also large groups, public administrations and ministries, are attracted by the good value for money that we offer. Especially in Premium Economy. These companies or government departments see the savings they can make by flying with us to the USA, Polynesia, Reunion, etc.
With just a few days to go before the end of 2025, can we take stock of the year?
Franck Benoit - 2025 will be a good year. We had a good summer and we hope that the winter will follow a similar trend. However, passengers are booking later and later. Launched in April 2025, the Montréal was a huge success. From 5 flights a week, the programme was increased to a daily schedule in July and August in response to the response. We will be back to this schedule at Christmas. Our destinations are popular with both leisure and business travellers. With the possible exception of the United States, where we had to stimulate leisure traffic this summer with fares starting at €200 one way on French Bee. However, we remain confident for 2026 and beyond, with events such as the World Cup, the 250th anniversary of the USA, and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028...
Do you have any other plans to open new routes?
Franck Benoit - In December 2024, Air Caraïbes took delivery of an Airbus A350-1000 with two classes, i.e. without Madras business class, like the French Bee aircraft. This aircraft reinforces our various programmes and gives us more capacity. We are looking at the possibilities with the aim of finding routes to operate year-round. And the desire to duplicate the success of French Bee in Montreal. In the meantime, the time has come to consolidate by increasing our capacity and revenues. To stand out from our competitors, we are also highlighting other assets such as the quality of our on-board service with a Caribbean touch, access to the lounge at Orly for our customers travelling in Madras class, our Train + Air agreement with Massy TGV station, a shuttle service to Orly airport and line 14, which puts the centre of Paris 25 minutes from Orly airport terminal 4. The extension of this metro line has revolutionised the lives of all our passengers.
