In this decision published at a time when overseas territories are the scene of demands against the cost of living, the Authority affirmed that this coordination between airlines which shared the regional flight market had enabled them “ to increase the average price of tickets sold« .
It was Air Caraibes (Dubreuil group, which also owns French Bee) which was the most heavily sanctioned (13 million euros), for these facts dating back to the period 2015-2019, specified the Competition Authority in a press release, also revealing a sanction of 1.5 million euros against K Finance, parent company of Air Antilles at the time.
The consulting company Miles Plus (Aerogestion) was fined 70,000 euros in the same case.
According to the Authority, “ the companies involved implemented three agreements on prices and pricing conditions for inter-island air connections within the French and international Caribbean » between 2015 and 2019.
Specifically, it was about the connections between “ Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France, as well as those between each of these two cities and Saint-Martin, Saint Lucia and Santo Domingo“, she emphasized.
« Between February and June 2015, then again in September and December 2016, Air Antilles and Air Caraibes, with the support of Aérogestion, discussed their future pricing intentions and made reciprocal commitments on the pricing conditions of airline tickets“, according to the same source.
« Then, between April 2017 and December 2019, the companies involved participated in a third agreement on fixing prices and pricing conditions.“, all within the framework of a “ non-aggression agreement« .
“Exorbitant prices”
« The anti-competitive practices put in place by Air Antilles and Air Caraibes are particularly serious“, judged the Competition Authority, noting that “ the inhabitants of these territories, faced with a cost of living significantly higher than in mainland France, have no really viable alternative to flying” and have been placed “in the position of captive customers » by the duopoly.
« We suspected this behavior given the exorbitant prices“, reacted the deputy (Liot) of Guadeloupe Olivier Serva. “ It was almost the most expensive line in the world (Martinique-Guadeloupe) in relation to the number of kilometers to travel“, he told AFP, expressing his “satisfaction to see these offenders punished« .
« This behavior to the detriment of the consumer is serious and I hope that competition will open up and that they will have practices allowing them to have reasonable prices.“, he concluded.
« Air Caraibes takes note of the decision of the Competition Authority published today and which relates to old facts concerning only the West Indian regional network“, affirmed the company in a press release sent to AFP.
« We are analyzing this decision with our advice in order to consider possible follow-ups.“, added the carrier, which also operates long-haul flights with the metropolis. From a source close to the matter, the company had provisioned in its 2023 accounts the maximum amount associated with a sanction from the Authority.
It decided not to impose a direct fine on Air Antilles, which was not solvent because it had recently been liquidated. It is its former parent company, K Finance, which is therefore targeted by the sanction.
The CAIRE group, the company name of Air Antilles, was partially taken over in 2023 by a holding company of the Edeis airport group, allied with the community of Saint-Martin, making it possible to relaunch Air Antilles flights in July 2024.
This affair finds its epilogue in a tense context for overseas communities, particularly in Martinique where a movement against the high cost of living began on September 1 and degenerated with urban riots and violence.
