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On September 24, Martinique Representative Jiovanny William submitted a report to Overseas Territories Minister Naïma Moutchou focusing on the cost of airline tickets between mainland France and the overseas territories. The document, commissioned by the government, is structured around 14 recommendations and took six months to complete.
The report is titled “Changes in Airfare Prices.” It examines issues such as taxation, mobility subsidies, and dynamic pricing. According to the Socialist MP, taxation is one of the most effective levers. “Because there is a huge tax burden on airfare,” he stated. “And by making changes to the tax system, we can also influence ticket prices.”
In the document submitted to the Minister for Overseas Territories, Jiovanny William also discusses extending transportation subsidies to the middle class and the need to review the “Chirac tax,” which is essentially a solidarity tax on airline tickets. Regarding routes between mainland France and the overseas territories, the representative notes that the tax has risen from 2.63 euros per passenger in 2022 to 7.40 euros in 2026—an increase of 181%. Consequently, one of the recommendations made by Jiovanny William is to explore the implementation of a specific range for this tax, consistent with European law.
Furthermore, the report examines yield management—a system used by airlines to adjust prices based on factors such as demand and aircraft occupancy—and recommends the creation of a specific legal framework to better regulate this pricing.
The document also mentions the programs offered through the Overseas Mobility Agency (Ladom), comparing the annual allocation made under the territorial continuity program. Jiovanny William points out that this allocation amounts to 67 million euros for Ladom—that is, for all overseas territories combined—while Corsica receives 187 million.
The report’s fourteen recommendations will be reviewed by the government. “I want to commend this serious, thorough work, which puts concrete solutions on the table,” said Naïma Moutchou. “We will now quickly evaluate them to turn those that can be implemented into decisions. Among them, the reduction in the TSBA for residents of the overseas territories is an avenue about which I am particularly optimistic.”
