MARIGOT, POINT-A-PITRE - The restart of Air Antilles, which declared bankruptcy several months ago, is taking longer than initially expected.
The Guadeloupe-based airline now believes that flights can only resume by the end of the first quarter, rather than early 2024. The restart, led by the French holding company Cipim and the government of French St. Maarten, claims to have encountered obstacles related to fleet maintenance.
In October 2023, Cipim submitted the winning bid to acquire a streamlined version of Air Antilles from former owner Groupe Caire. An audit required to resume flight operations could take place in January or February, according to Jérôme Arnaud, Deputy General Manager of Edeis, the holding company of the airport operator.
Cipim aims to retain five of Air Antilles' ten aircraft, with the new enterprise tentatively named Sem New Air Antilles.
Collaboration
The old Air Antilles had been a key collaborator of WINAIR, based in Sint Maarten, for many years. Together, the two airlines operated flights from Sint Maarten to the ABC islands. The collaboration faltered after dissatisfaction among Air Antilles staff led to prolonged strikes, followed by the bankruptcy of Air Antilles' parent company, Groupe Caire.