Above: an Air Antilles Express plane

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Air Antilles Express has begun its new bi-weekly service between Guadeloupe and Antigua.

The service will operate every Monday and Thursday out of Pointe-a-Pitre. The 20-minute flight departs Guadeloupe at 4:30 PM and arrives in Antigua in 4:50.

The return flight departs for Guadeloupe at 4:50 PM, arriving at 5:10 PM.

“We have seen great potential to grow the number of visitors from Guadeloupe, however it has been difficult to develop this market due to inconsistent access and expensive connections to the destination,” said Charmaine Spencer, marketing manager for the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

Air Antilles Express operates a codeshare agreement with Corsair, meaning the service can be connected with Corsair flights out of Paris.

The Corsair and Air Antilles service is a partnership with Promo Sejours.

The Guadeloupe-Antigua service will be operated on a 48-seat ATR-42.

“The introduction of an alternative airline at a reduced cost should result in an increase in exchanges between the two islands over the next few months,” Spencer said. “Although the flight is only scheduled at present for the winter season, the aim is to create enough demand for Air Antilles Express to continue the service through the summer.”