No return flight between Paris and Juliana for Air Caraïbes: MP Gumbs demands explanations

Last April, the announcement that Air Caraïbes would be resuming air services between Paris and Sint Maarten's Princess Juliana airport delighted many travellers. But in recent days, rumours had been circulating that the airline had decided not to re-launch the service. Throughout Thursday, JSB tried to obtain explanations from Air Caraïbes management. These requests went unanswered. The only information we received from the communications department was a terse e-mail confirming that "this reopening will not take place". A bit short.

"Frantz Gumbs' "incomprehension and disappointment

Meanwhile, Frantz Gumbs, Member of Parliament for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, sent a letter to Christine Ourmières-Widener, President of Air Caraïbes - Air Caraïbes Atlantique. The parliamentarian writes: "During our meeting at the National Assembly in April, we had a lengthy exchange of views on the company's objectives and its desire to establish a foothold in the Caribbean region and offer the best for its inhabitants and their territory. On April 29, at a press conference with Ladom, you officially announced the resumption of this transatlantic route by the end of 2024, declaring your company's attachment to "this cosmopolitan jewel of the Caribbean". Today, at a time when ticket sales for the direct service between Saint-Martin and Paris have been launched, I wish to express my incomprehension and disappointment at this decision.

The MP continued: "I'm thinking in particular of the customers who are caught off guard and automatically placed on a stopover flight they didn't choose. I'm also thinking more generally of the inhabitants of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, who will remain landlocked and will once again be financially penalized by the mere presence of Air France on the Paris-Princess Juliana-St.-Martin transatlantic route.And he concludes: "It seems to me that this uncertainty should be resolved, and explanations provided for this new situation."A request which, for the time being, has clearly not convinced the company's management of the need to respond.