Air Antilles, the inter-island carrier that connected France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean for more than two decades, has been ordered into full liquidation, leaving Dominica and St Lucia without direct air links to the region’s main hubs.
The Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre ruled in April 2026 that it was impossible to present a viable recovery plan and ordered the airline’s closure. Air Antilles officially filed for shutdown on 11 May 2026, having not operated any flights since December 2025.
Safety audit failure triggered the collapse
The airline’s downfall began when France’s civil aviation authority, the Direction de la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile, revoked its operating licence following a failed safety audit in late 2025. Unable to resume flights or fund the technical fixes required to restore its licence, Air Antilles accumulated debts of more than 56 million euros.
The Guadeloupe court examined three acquisition bids from local hedge funds and holding companies but found none sufficient to cover the airline’s losses or guarantee continued operations.
Routes left without coverage
Air Antilles operated flights from its bases at Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) in Guadeloupe and Fort-de-France (FDF) in Martinique to Dominica, St Lucia, and St Barthélemy. Competitors have yet to absorb the cancelled routes to Dominica and St Lucia, leaving those islands currently without direct air access to the region’s main hubs.
The liquidation covers a fleet of four aircraft: two 72-seat ATR 72s, one 48-seat ATR 42, and one 19-seat De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. Around 116 crew members and other staff have lost their jobs.
A wave of airline failures in 2026
Air Antilles is among several carriers to have ceased operations this year. Spirit Airlines cancelled all remaining flights on 2 May 2026, with the skyrocketing cost of jet fuel delivering the final blow after two Chapter 11 filings. Mexican low-cost carrier Magnicharters suspended all flights, while Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its certificate revoked in March after the FAA alleged owners had falsified pilot training records. Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also folded in March over financial difficulties, and Swedish charter carrier H-Bird was declared bankrupt in January after losing its operating licence at the end of 2025.
Travellers planning to visit Guadeloupe or Martinique with onward connections to smaller French Caribbean islands should check with their airline or tour operator before travelling. Some inter-island links remain available through other regional carriers, but direct service to Dominica and St Lucia from the main French Antilles hubs is currently suspended with no confirmed replacement service announced.
