MARIGOT – The French-Antillean airline Air Antilles has been forced to remain grounded after France’s civil aviation authority (DGAC) identified serious shortcomings in the company’s safety management systems.
The airline’s operating license was suspended with immediate effect on Tuesday, resulting in an instant ban on ticket sales. Where possible, affected passengers are being rebooked on flights operated by competitor Air Caraïbes. Air Antilles has been given one month to address the deficiencies and implement the required corrective measures.
Air Antilles, long considered an important regional carrier and a key partner of Sint Maarten–based Winair, has experienced a turbulent period in recent years. Following the bankruptcy of its parent company, Caire, in August 2023, the airline was relaunched in June 2024, supported by a substantial capital injection from the government of the French side of Saint Martin.
The Collectivité of Saint Martin, together with several other partners, took over shares in Air Antilles in an effort to safeguard air connectivity between the smaller islands in the northeastern Caribbean.
Despite an additional funding commitment of approximately €3 million in recent months, the airline’s future remains uncertain. The latest intervention by the French aviation authority, driven by renewed safety concerns, has once again cast doubt over the long-term viability of Air Antilles and its role in regional air transport.