Air Antilles' Parent Company Has Been Placed Into Liquidation

The decision follows last month's announcement that the airline had filed for non-payments amid a prolonged pilots' strike.

Air Antilles' parent group, Compagnie Aérienne Interrégionale Express (CAIRE), has been placed into liquidation by the Mixed Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre, according to local media.

As reported by Guadeloupe La 1ère, French Guiane aviation group CAIRE, operating as Air Guyane, entered into compulsory liquidation on Wednesday amid strikes at subsidiary Air Antilles.

The ruling will see a court-appointed representative handle the company until a buyer can be found, with Air Antilles and Air Guyane given a two-month continuation period. A call for buyers is set to be launched during the next court hearing, The Daily Herald Reports.

In July, it emerged the group was facing financial difficulties following Chief Executive Officer Eric Koury's announcement that he was filing for a suspension of payments, with the indefinite industrial action costing Air Antilles up to €120,000 ($131,000) a day. Speaking to AFP last week, Koury explained that the carrier would be unlikely to survive a strike as it attempts to rebuild its post-pandemic capacity.

“No airline can withstand a long pilot strike at the height of the peak season, after having suffered the full force of the health crisis for over two years.”

Pointe-à-Pitre's court decision was largely welcomed by respective parties, with Koury noting his support of the liquidation.

Air Antilles pilots' union, Syndicat National des Pilotes de Ligne (SNPL-CAIRE Air Antilles), which suspended its industrial action on Thursday, expressed optimism for the airline's future under new leadership.

“We are very attached to this company. Employees really have this expectation of being able to find real good working conditions. It is very important for us to have every chance to put this exploitation in order, to put this society back in motion.”

The union notably walked out in mid-July in a row over CAIRE's failure to honor a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December to raise wages by 5.5%. Initially set to run between July 14 and 19, industrial action was prolonged indefinitely after negotiations stalled, with SNPL-CAIRE Air Antilles calling on the carrier to uphold its end of the agreement immediately. An unlimited strike notice was filed on July 27 following Air Antilles' suspension of payments.

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Air Antilles ground staff launched a plea to its flight deck-based co-workers, expressing solidarity but raising concerns over the stability of their employment should CAIRE collapse.

Industrial action was suspended after almost three weeks on Wednesday following concerns about air connectivity in the Caribbean. In a statement provided to Guadeloupe La 1ère, CAIRE cabin crew members associated with the National Union of Civilian Force Workers of the Gendarmerie (SNPC-FO) noted the necessity of Air Antilles and Air Guyane in transporting passengers through the West Indies and Guyana, despite Koury's stubbornness.

Around 300 people are currently employed by CAIRE across both Air Antilles and Air Guyane.

What are your thoughts on CAIRE's liquidation? Did Air Antilles pilots' strike impact your flight? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Guadeloupe La 11ère (1) (2) (3), The Daily Herald (1) (2)

Journalist - With a degree in journalism, Molly joins the team with an interest in aviation's history, and its impact on politics, society, and culture. Molly has experience as a digital correspondent with Sky News. Based in Surrey, United Kingdom