Guadeloupe’s Air Antilles is officially no more. The French Antilles carrier failed to find a suitable buyer, and on April 27, 2026, the Mixed Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre ordered the judicial liquidation of the airline (and associated entities), requiring immediate cessation of activities.

Air Antilles has a long history spanning back to 2002 when it was originally founded as Air Antilles Express under the CAIRE group. With a mixed fleet of ATR and de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft, the French West Indian carrier would go on to operate flights to various parts of the Caribbean including both airports in Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, Puerto Rico and a handful of other nearby destinations.

In 2016, they shortened their name to Air Antilles and introduced an updated livery to match the new branding. In July 2023, the airline found itself in serious financial difficulty, and was forced to temporarily pause operations after parent company CAIRE entered liquidation in September 2023 after they failed to continue making payments to respective creditors.

In 2024, the Collectivity of Saint-Martin and EDEIS Group offered a lifeline, investing in the airline in a 60:40 split respectively, allowing the carrier to resume flights in mid-2024. Less than a year later, they were still unable to turn a profit, and eventually lost their full air operator certificate (AOC) in mid-2025. France’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) issued a provisional license on the basis that they find a way to improve their financial situation.

Even with this provision, Air Antilles still failed to turn around their finances, resulting in their AOC being suspended entirely. The airline shut down operations on December 8, 2025, and eventually filed for bankruptcy protection on January 16, 2026.

air antilles atr72 600
Credit: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked

The matter was forwarded to the Guadeloupe judicial system, where a bidding process was created for potential new investors. Several companies expressed interest, with two entities showing potential intent to take over the failing carrier. Unfortunately, they were not able to sufficiently back up their financial claims, and the courts ruled that Air Antilles should be liquidated. All associated entities were also forced into liquidation, leaving over 110 employees out of work.

This obviously comes as a great loss to the French West Indian islands, raising connectivity concerns in the region. The bulk of the regional load out of Guadeloupe and Martinique now rests on other carriers such as Air Caraibes, Liat Air and Sunrise Airways. Caribbean Airlines also operates flights to the French islands, but these routes may also be revisited given their own financial woes.  

When Air Antilles operated their last flights in December 2025, there were two ATR 72-600 aircraft in their fleet.

Sign up for the free Gate Checked newsletter here sent three times weekly.
Google Add as preferred source on Google WhatsApp Follow on WhatsApp