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Air Antilles

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Air Antilles
IATA ICAO Call sign
4I KES KARIBEES
Founded18 December 2002; 23 years ago (2002-12-18)
Ceased operations
27 April 2026; 5 months ago (2026-04-27)
HubsPointe-à-Pitre International Airport
GREEN'Smiles
Fleet size3
Destinations4
Parent companyCollectivity of Saint Martin (60%) and EDEIS (40%)[1]
HeadquartersPointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Websitewww.airantilles.com

Air Antilles was a French regional airline based at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe. It operated scheduled and seasonal services throughout the French Antilles.

On 10 December 2025, it was reported that the French civil aviation authority had suspended the air operator certificate (AOC) of Air Antilles on safety grounds after an audit.[2] On 4 February 2026, it was reported that the airline had entered a six month restructuring.[3] The decision was made on 2 February 2026, and will be led by the Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre.[4] On 27 April 2026, the airline ceased all operations indefinitely following the decision of the Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre to place the carrier into judicial liquidation.[5]

History

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The airline began operations as Air Antilles Express on December 18, 2002, owned by Air Guyane Express, which itself used to be a subsidiary of Guadeloupean group CAIRE. It was a brand name for Air Guyane's Caribbean operations and both airlines share their call sign, IATA and ICAO codes. The airline uses as its Airline Reservations System Zenith, developed by Travel Technology Interactive, a French-based company.[citation needed]

In 2016, the airline changed its name to Air Antilles and introduced a new livery with the delivery of its first ATR 72-600.[citation needed]

In September 2023, the group CAIRE, of which both Air Antilles and Air Guyane were a part, was terminated. Air Antilles was set to be revived by a public-private partnership, while Air Guyane was to be liquidated.[6] Air Antilles resumed operations on July 22, 2024, with reduced service and fleet size.[7]

Destinations

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Country City Airport Notes Refs
Antigua and BarbudaOsbournV. C. Bird International AirportSuspended[8]
BarbadosBridgetownGrantley Adams International AirportSuspended
DominicaMarigotDouglas–Charles AirportSuspended
RoseauCanefield AirportSuspended
Dominican RepublicPunta CanaPunta Cana International AirportSuspended
Santo DomingoLas Américas International AirportSuspended[8]
GuadeloupePointe-à-PitrePointe-à-Pitre International AirportHub
MartiniqueFort-de-FranceMartinique Aimé Césaire International Airport
Puerto RicoSan JuanLuis Muñoz Marín International AirportSuspended[8]
Saint BarthélemySaint-JeanGustaf III Airport
Saint LuciaCastriesGeorge F.L. Charles AirportSuspended[8]
Saint MartinGrand CaseL'Espérance Airport
Sint MaartenPhilipsburgPrincess Juliana International AirportSuspended[8]

Codeshare agreements

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Interline agreements

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Fleet

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Air Antilles ATR 42-600

As of August 2025, Air Antilles operates the following aircraft:[11]

Air Antilles fleet
Aircraft In
service		 Passengers Notes
ATR 72-600 2 72
Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter 1 19
Total 3

Accidents and incidents

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  • On August 24, 2023, Air Antilles flight 3S722 (operated by a DHC-6-400 Twin Otter registered F-OMYS) off runway 28 at the Saint Barthélemy airport moments after touchdown. The Twin Otter struck a parked and unoccupied helicopter that had landed 30 minutes prior. While none of the six on board were injured, the Twin Otter was seriously damaged, the high-speed impact caused substantial damage to both aircraft.[12] The pilots blamed the loss of directional control on a steering issue. Furthermore, video evidence shows the aircraft having steering difficulties while taxiing at Saint Barth only ten days prior to the crash.[13] Air Antilles was temporarily suspended from flying to Saint Barth following the accident.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "The government of French St. Maarten obtained 60% ownership of Air Antilles". Saba-news.com. October 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ Garbuno, Daniel Martinez (2025-12-10). "France suspends Air Antilles AOC after audit". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  3. ↑ Garbuno, Daniel Martinez (2026-02-04). "Air Antilles enters six-month court-led restructuring". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  4. ↑ Info, Fax (2026-02-02). "AIR TRANSPORT: Air Antilles avoids liquidation and obtains a six-month reprieve". Faxinfo. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  5. ↑ "Air Antilles Placed in Liquidation". AeroMorning.com. 2026-04-28. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  6. ↑ "Air Antilles survives, Air Guyane will be liquidated". Aviacionline.com. October 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ Bradley Wint (July 22, 2024). "Air Antilles Resumes Operations Under New Management". Gatechecked.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fly Air Antilles". Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  9. ↑ "Profile on Air France". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Winair". www.fly-winair.sx. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Air Antilles". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 61.
  12. ↑ "Runway excursion Accident Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 F-OMYS". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  13. ↑ Roland Steiger (2023-08-14). Plane Suffers Power Steering Problem. Retrieved 2024-06-08 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ "Air Antilles suspended from Saint Barthélemy following crash". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
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