The severity of these violations is underscored by the fact that at the time, Air Caraïbes and Air Antilles were the only two carriers operating on these critical routes. The competition authority noted that air travel is an essential service in these territories, making the collusion particularly damaging.
A Sophisticated Effort to Hide the Truth
The airlines went to great lengths to conceal their illegal activities. According to the regulator, they were fully aware of their violations and employed “highly sophisticated” tactics to hide their discussions. The companies used pseudonyms, code names, and even enlisted Miles Plus as an intermediary to avoid detection.
One of the most disturbing elements of the scheme involved price-fixing related to emergency flights during Hurricane Irma in September 2017. As thousands of people fled the storm, the airlines allegedly took advantage of the vulnerable situation by further inflating prices, capitalizing on the desperate circumstances of refugees.
Heavy Fines Imposed
In response to these serious breaches of competition law, the Autorité de la concurrence imposed hefty fines. Air Caraïbes and its parent company, the Dubreuil Group, were fined €13 million, while Air Antilles’ parent company, K Finance, faced a €1.5 million penalty. The consulting firm Miles Plus was hit with a €70,000 fine.