A ” key figure in the aviation world describes Challenges, which revealed the information this Sunday. At the head of Air Caraïbes since 2004, Marc Rochet, former manager of AOM and also president of French Bee, will leave his place from the 1er July to Christine Ourmières-Widener, former general manager of the Portuguese company TAP.
The one who will be the first woman at the head of the Antilles-Guyanese airline would have been chosen in agreement with the Dubreuil family, within the framework of a ” gradual transition “. ” Initially, Marc Rochet will leave the general management of Air Caraïbes, and will retain his position as president. Christine Ourmières-Widener becomes general manager of air activities for the Dubreuil group (Air Caraïbes, French Bee, Hiline Cargo). In a few months, she will also take over the presidency », Details Challenges.
Well known in the air world, Christine Ourmières-Widener is, like Marc Rochet, a graduate of ENSMA Poitiers. She has worked for Air France, CityJet -Irish regional airline- and Flybe -British low cost-. More information on this succession will be given by the group at its general meeting scheduled for June 30.
Marc Rochet, 72, leaves behind two healthy companies after the turbulence of the health crisis and the war in Ukraine. Known for his outspokenness, he had in particular strongly denounced the imbalance between the substantial state aid to Air France, and that granted to private or regional French companies. More recently, Marc Rochet was critical of Emmanuel Macron’s announcement to invest 200 million euros in petroleum-free fuels (SAF) like biomass.
“ There is already a real debate on how to use this material which is not in sufficient quantity for the air transport sector”, he explained to La Tribune, estimating that the quantities available only meet 20% of aviation needs. In addition to the limited quantity of this resource, Marc Rochet also pointed to its high cost, 4 to 5 times more expensive than kerosene, and its relative impact on CO2 emissions. “QWhen an airplane flies for an hour, a minute, or 100 kilometres, whether it is 100% fueled by SAF or by kerosene, it emits the same amount of CO2 into the air”.
“I believe that the SAF will be part of the system, but betting everything on it is a mistake and we will pay a high price for it. “, he concluded at the Paris Air Forum of La Tribune last Friday. Marc Rochet relies more on “technological innovations at the service of a reduction in the consumption of aircraft – the Dubreuil group has always praised the fuel consumption of the A350s it uses for its companies – or even, even if it means sacrificing passenger comfort, optimizing the seats on board.
Called in 2004 by Jean-Paul Dubreuil, who withdrew from the group’s board of directors last year, Marc Rochet was given the task of directing Air Caraïbes, recently acquired by the group. In 20 years, Marc Rochet has made this small regional company the 2th French company, with a renewed fleet entirely made up of A350s. In 2016, the duo launched the first French long-haul low-cost airline French bee. A success that has enabled the group to embark on Reunion, Polynesia and North America: San Francisco first to provide service to Tahiti-Faa’a, then New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
” The aviation division of the Dubreuil group will reach a turnover of one billion euros this year. A record “, further specifies Challenges. If he leaves the management of the two companies, Marc Rochet should however keep a foothold in the sector through his consulting company, Aérogestion, which he created in 1999.
