Company Profile and Brief History for Air Caraïbes

Air Caraïbes is a French regional airline serving the West Indies, operating as a full-service carrier with scheduled passenger and charter flights, including transatlantic services. Headquartered in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe, it is majority-owned by Groupe Dubreuil (85%) and focuses on connecting the French Caribbean territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana) to mainland France and regional destinations. The airline operates under the “Air Caraïbes Atlantique” brand for long-haul routes and emphasizes premium comfort with classes like Caraïbes (Business), Madras (Premium Economy), and Soleil (Economy). It uses Travel Technology Interactive’s Aeropack management system and offers the Preference frequent-flyer program for miles and benefits. Air Caraïbes is part of the Carib Sky Alliance (with LIAT and Winair) and has codeshare agreements with Cubana de Aviación and SNCF (French railways), enhancing connectivity.Key operational details include:

• Fleet: As of August 2025, 14 aircraft, comprising 1 Airbus A330-200 (303 seats: 12 Business, 24 Premium Economy, 267 Economy), 2 Airbus A330-300s (354 seats: 12 Business, 35 Premium Economy, 307 Economy), 3 Airbus A350-900s (389 seats: 18 Business, 45 Premium Economy, 326 Economy), 4 Airbus A350-1000s (configurations: 429 seats with 24 Business, 45 Premium Economy, 360 Economy; or 480 seats with 40 Business, 440 Economy), and 4 ATR 72-600s (74 seats, regional turboprops). Orders include 1 ATR 72-600 (delivery expected late 2024/early 2025). The fleet supports efficient operations across short regional hops and long-haul transatlantic flights, with ongoing modernization from older ATR 72-500s and Embraer jets.
• Network: Serves 10+ destinations across the Caribbean, French Guiana, and Europe, with ~20 routes (regional inter-island, transatlantic to Paris). Main hub: Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP), Guadeloupe; secondary hub/focus city: Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF), Fort-de-France. Key routes include Paris-Orly (ORY) to Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne (French Guiana); regional: Saint-Martin (SXM), Punta Cana (PUJ, Dominican Republic), Havana (HAV, Cuba), Santo Domingo (SDQ), Saint-Barthélemy (SBH), Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, and inter-island shuttles. Recent additions: Direct Paris-Orly to Saint-Martin (3x weekly from December 12, 2025). Seasonal charters to Cancún (CUN), Papeete (PPT, via Tahiti), and others.
• Codes and Allowances: IATA code TX; ICAO code FWI. Baggage: Economy (Soleil) typically 1x23kg checked + 8kg carry-on (domestic/regional), 2x23kg checked for transatlantic; Business (Caraïbes) 2x32kg checked + 10kg carry-on. Prohibited items include certain liquids and electronics; details vary by route (e.g., up to 3 bags total for families).
• Workforce and Performance: Employs ~1,105 staff (as of 2019, with growth post-COVID). Carried millions of passengers annually, with strong recovery to 95%+ pre-pandemic capacity by 2025; revenue ~€200M+ in recent years, supported by tourism rebound. Holds a 4-star rating for service; recent promotions include 10% off lounge access (until September 30, 2025) and partnerships for car rentals (up to -15% with SIXT).

Air Caraïbes positions itself as the premier carrier for French Caribbean travel, blending regional efficiency with long-haul comfort to support tourism and economic ties.

Brief History

Air Caraïbes traces its roots to 1969 as Société Antillaise de Transport Aérien, evolving into Société Caribéenne de Transports Aériens in September 1994 for regional services. The modern airline was founded in July 2000 through the merger of local carriers Air Guadeloupe, Air Martinique, Air Saint Barthélémy, and Air Saint Martin, addressing air transport needs in French Caribbean territories. By 2002, it carried 445,000 passengers with €68 million in revenue.

The 2000s focused on expansion: Received its first ATR 72-500 in July 2003 for regional routes and launched transatlantic services to Paris-Orly in December 2003 using Airbus A330-200s under the Air Caraïbes Atlantique franchise. In June 2006, it added its first A330-300, growing the long-haul fleet.

The 2010s marked fleet modernization: Ordered three A350-900s and three A350-1000s in December 2013 (deliveries starting 2016/2020). Received its first ATR 72-600 in December 2016 and first A350-900 in February 2017, becoming the 11th global A350 operator with a high-density configuration. The first A350-1000 arrived in December 2019, alongside codeshares with Aigle Azur and Corsair (ended 2019).

The 2020s emphasized resilience: COVID-19 led to route suspensions and fleet streamlining (retiring ATR 42s, Embraer ERJs, Boeing 737-300s by 2020). Recovery accelerated post-2022, with 2024 announcements for one A350-1000 and two ATR 72-600s (deliveries late 2024). By September 2025, the fleet reached 14 aircraft, with new Paris-Saint-Martin flights launching December 2025, reinforcing its role as a Caribbean aviation leader amid tourism growth.