"This decision was taken for strictly economic reasons." Éric Michel, deputy general manager of the airline Air Caraïbes, says that it is reluctantly that the company has decided to suspend the links between Paris Orly and Saint-Martin Princess Juliana, from December 13, 2022 for a indefinite period.
“The price of oil has almost doubled,” continues Éric Michel. “Added to this is the dollar exchange. In our industry, all expenses are denominated in dollars: purchase of fuel, maintenance, purchase of planes,… With the fall in the euro, our expenses are costing us more”.
According to Éric Michel, the company would have to increase the price of each ticket by €150 to break even, “without being really profitable. But if we do that, the clientele will not follow. The Deputy CEO also underlines the competition from Air France KLM, a company which has “received 12 billion euros in aid from the French and Dutch states. Air Caraïbes is a private company with a single shareholder”. The Orly Saint-Martin line is therefore the first victim of global inflation. "It was more or less in balance but by equalization, we decided to reduce the sail". The Paris Cuba line will also be suspended. "It's always bad news for an airline to lose a network."
Éric Michel recalls that this is a short-term decision and that a reopening, if the conditions allow it, is not excluded._pc
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