Flights from Martinique to Saint Lucia will operate during peak periods, three times a week.

Efforts to boost and enhance the local tourism product continue, with the introduction of a new Air Caraibes airbus to Saint Lucia.

The brand new 74-seat aircraft arrived at the George F.L. Charles airport last Friday, and is the first ATR 72-600 of the Air Caraibes fleet. The new airbus will significantly augment the service that is already being provided since the airline began operations in Saint Lucia 16 years ago.

Chief Executive Officer, Olivier Besnard, said the new airbus will strengthen the airline flight schedule during peak periods and allow for more flexibility.

"We want to announce that we are going to operate flights from Martinique to Saint Lucia until April, three times a week on Friday Saturday and Sunday, and I think it’s good news because passengers from Martinique will spend weekends at the hotels [which] is a good thing for tourism in Saint Lucia."

The Minister with responsibility for Civil Aviation, Hon. Guy Joseph, welcomed the new airline to Saint Lucia, stating that Martinique is an important gateway to the European Union.

The GIS also spoke with Air Caraibes Chief Pilot, Matin Phillipe, who flew the airbus into Saint Lucia, who said the aircraft will fly between Fort De France, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, and Santo Domingo.

Air Caraibes is a regional airline of the French Caribbean, headquartered in Guadeloupe. The airline operates a local as well as a regional network.