Air Caraïbes

Air Caraïbes
IATA code :	TX
ICAO code :	FWI
Call sign :	FRENCH WEST
Founding:	2000
Seat:	Les Abymes , Guadeloupe
Turnstile :	Martinique Pointe-à-Pitre Paris-Orly Airport
Home airport :	Pointe-à-Pitre
IATA prefix code :	427
Management:	Marc Rochet ( CEO )
Number of employees:	1205 (2018-03)
Sales:	€ 482 million (2018)
Passenger volume:	1.26 million (2018)
Frequent Flyer Program :	Préférence
Fleet size:	15 (+ 3 orders)
Aims:	international
Website:	www.aircaraibes.com

Air Caraïbes is a French airline based in Les Abymes in Guadeloupe and based at Pointe-à-Pitre Airport .

history

Air Caraïbes was created in 2000 through the merger of Air Guadeloupe, Air Martinique, Air Saint Barthelemy and Air Saint Martin. It is divided into the two divisions "Air Caraïbes" and "Air Caraïbes Atlantique". The company is 85% owned by the Dubreuil Group . In 2003 the first long-haul flights were started with an Airbus A330. Four more Airbus A330s were taken over by 2009, with which the route network was expanded. In addition, the new TGV Air offer was launched in 2009 , which allows passengers to book the ticket for the TGV from selected train stations directly with the flight. Connections are secured and transit from Massy TGV train station to Orly 4 airport is included for outward and return journeys. In 2015, a new brand identity including a new logo and new paintwork was presented. At the end of 2019, not all aircraft had the new paintwork.

By 2017, the route network was expanded to include further routes within the Caribbean and between the Caribbean and France . In 2017 the first two Airbus A350-900s with new cabins were taken over. Air Caraïbes was the first airline to operate the A350-900 in Economy Class with ten seats per row. In order to be able to offer similar comfort in the cabins of the Airbus A330 as in the new A350-900, all cabins of the Airbus A330 were renewed by the end of 2018. Another A350-900 was finally taken over in 2019. The first A350-1000 was taken over at the end of 2019 . This is the first A350-1000 for a French airline and is currently the A350-1000 with the most seats.

Air Caraïbes is believed to be considering replacing the Airbus A330 in its fleet with Boeing 777 and Boeing 787s . Even at the end of 2019, it is not foreseeable whether and when the Airbus A330 will be replaced. They will initially remain in service until the end of 2020. In December 2019, another Airbus A330 was even added to the fleet. (Callsign F-HUNO).

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline ceased its flight operations from March 28, 2020. Flights between Fort-de-France, Pointe-á-Pitre and Saint-Martin were resumed on May 25, 2020. The transatlantic flights between Paris, Fort-de-France, Pointe-á-Pitre and Cayenne are to be resumed from June 12, 2020. Further routes are to follow.

service

Short haul

Cabin of an ATR 72-500

Air Caraibes only offers Economy Class in its ATR 72 aircraft on its intra-Caribbean flights.

Long haul

Three classes are usually offered on the long haul . The Classe Soleil (Economy) includes food and drinks. With mostly nine seats per row in the Airbus A330 and ten seats per row in the Airbus A350, Air Caraïbes relies on relatively narrow seating.

In the Classe Caraïbes (Premium Economy), in contrast to the Classe Soleil, there is increased seating comfort and an improved range of food and drinks. In this class, seven seats per row are installed in the Airbus A330 and Airbus A350-1000. In the Airbus A350-900 there is seating with nine seats per row.

In the class Madras (Business) the seats in the Airbus A330 can be set back by 160 °. In the Airbus A350, Air Caraïbes offers a flat bed in this class, the seats can be reclined by 180 °. The seats are installed in a seating arrangement with six seats per row.

Most of the company's long-haul aircraft have an in-flight entertainment system in all classes with personal touchscreens in each seat. In addition, almost all long-haul aircraft in all classes have a power connection.

The reserve aircraft F-HHUB is an exception. This Airbus A330-200 only has an economy class with eight seats per row. There are no personal screens at each seat, only a few screens are installed on the ceilings. In addition, the Airbus A330-200 F-HUNO from the insolvent Aigle Azur was taken over at the end of 2019 . The aircraft is currently (early 2020) still equipped with the cabin of this airline. By April 2020, this aircraft will be equipped with the typical Air Caraibes cabin configuration.

Route network

Air Caraïbes serves destinations in the Caribbean and South America from its hubs . From the airport Paris-Orly from are targets in Martinique , Guadeloupe , French Guiana , Haiti , Saint-Martin, the Dominican Republic , the Bahamas and Cuba served. There are also some routes within the Caribbean. Air Caraïbes also has codeshare agreements with Corsair International and French bee .

fleet

As of April 2020, the Air Caraïbes fleet consists of 15 aircraft with an average age of 8.4 years:

A330-200

A350-900

ATR 72-500

Current fleet

Aircraft type	number	ordered	Mark	Remarks	Seats ( Business / Eco + / Eco )	Average age (April 2020)
Airbus A330-200	3		F-OFDF F-HHUB F-HUNO		303 (12/24/267) 318 (- / - / 318) 287 (19 / - / 268)	19.7 years
Airbus A330-300	3		F-ORLY F-HPUJ F-HPTP		354 (12/35/307)	8.8 years
Airbus A350-900	3		F-HHAV F-HNET F-HTRE	first delivery on February 28, 2017; leased from AerCap	389 (18/45/326)	3.2 years
Airbus A350-1000	1	3	F-HMIL	first delivery on December 19, 2019	429 (24/45/360)	2.4 years
ATR 72-500	1		F-OIXL	Retirement by June 2020	70 (- / - / 70)	6.0 years
ATR 72-600	3		F-OSIX F-OSIV F-OSIT		74 (- / - / 74)
total	15th	3				8.4 years

Previously deployed aircraft

In the past, Air Caraïbes also operated the following types of aircraft:

• ATR 42-500
• Boeing 737-200
• Embraer ERJ 145
• Embraer ERJ 175
• Embraer ERJ 190

logo

• 

  Logo until 2015

• 

  New logo from 2015

• 

  Old paint

• 

  New paint

Incidents

• On March 24, 2001, the captain of a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter ( aircraft registration F-OGES ) lost control of the aircraft on a scheduled flight from Sint Maarten to Saint-Barthélemy on the final approach to the local Aéroport Rémy de Haenen . The machine turned into a left turn while flying over the hill Col de la Tourmente , which was immediately in front of the runway , and collided with a residential building. A total of 20 people were killed in the accident, all 19 occupants of the aircraft and one resident of the house.

See also

• List of airlines

Web links

Commons : Air Caraïbes  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Data on the airline company Air Caraïbes in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
• Air Caraïbes website (French, English, Spanish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Air Caraïbes: Business figures for Air Caraïbes. 2018, accessed December 19, 2019 (French). 
2. ^ Air Caraïbes: The TGV Air offer; a booking for train and flight. Retrieved December 22, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Sebastian Steinke: New twin for France's Caribbean domestic route: Air Caraïbes takes over their first Airbus A350. March 1, 2017, accessed December 22, 2019 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Air Caraïbes: Air Caraïbes has modernized its A330 100%. Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
5. ↑ ^{a b} Patrick Zwerger: A350-1000 for Air Caraibes: This is the A350 with the most seats. In: FLUGREVUE. December 20, 2019, accessed December 22, 2019 . 
6. ↑ FLUG REVUE - Aviation News. (No longer available online.) In: FLUGREVUE. November 14, 2018, formerly in the original ; accessed on November 9, 2019 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Air Caraïbes: The current fleet of Air Caraïbes. Retrieved January 23, 2020 (French). 
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} The current Air Caraïbes fleet at Planespotters. In: PLANESPOTTERS.net. March 30, 2020, accessed April 19, 2020 . 
9. ↑ Air Caraibes: Cessation and resumption of flights as a result of the corona virus . Retrieved May 30, 2020 (French). 
10. ↑ Air Caraïbes: cabin plan of the ATR 72-500. Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
11. ↑ ^{a b c d} Air Caraïbes: Welcome on board our Airbus A350-900! ... infinitely comfortable! Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Air Caraïbes: Airbus A330-300 cabin plan. Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
13. ↑ ^{a b c d} Air Caraïbes: cabin plan of the Airbus A330-200. Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
14. ↑ ^{a b c} Air Caraïbes: Airbus A350-900 cabin plan. Retrieved December 22, 2019 (French). 
15. ↑ ^{a b} Air Caraïbes: A350-1000 cabin plan. Retrieved December 23, 2019 (French). 
16. ↑ Air Caraïbes: The destinations worldwide. Retrieved April 27, 2017 (French). 
17. ↑ Air Caraïbes: Code Share: The partners French bee and Corsair. Retrieved April 27, 2017 (French). 
18. ↑ ^{a b} Airbus Orders and deliveries. In: airbus.com. March 31, 2020, accessed on April 19, 2020 . 
19. ↑ aercap.com - AerCap Delivers First of Three New Airbus A350 XWB Aircraft to Air Caraïbes, February 28, 2017 ( memento of April 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 27, 2017
20. ↑ AIRBUS: Air Caraïbes has taken over its first Airbus A350-1000. December 19, 2019, accessed December 19, 2019 . 
21. ↑ BEA - Accident Report f-es010324a (PDF file; English), accessed on February 27, 2016
22. ^ Accident report DHC-6 F-OGES , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 20, 2019.