Aviation: Chalair company suspends Brest-Orly service due to lack of passengers

She only used it for eight short months. Normandy airline Chalair announced on Tuesday that it was suspending the Brest-Orly service due to insufficient ridership and the “stated desire of some local institutions to favor a different solution,” while another company took a stand and received financial support from several communities.

“The Chalair company has decided to suspend the operation of the Brest-Orly route from November 11, 2023,” the statement says. “Despite exemplary regularity, with more than 98% of scheduled flights operating, the insufficient level of ridership on the line since its resumption, as well as the stated desire of some local institutions to prefer another solution, are the main reasons for this decision,” elaborates Chalair.

Chalair took over the business in November 2022, which was previously owned by Transavia and primarily focused on business clients. The first flight took place in March. According to the press release, the resumption of services from Brest to Orly could now be “considered as soon as general economic conditions and local support policies are met.”

“Practices from another time”

The new airline Céleste, based in Morlaix (Finistère), positioned itself several months ago to provide the Brest-Paris connection with the financial support of several local authorities, the agglomeration community of Morlaix, the Brittany region and the metropolis of Brest through debt repayment. advances totaling €3.5 million.

The support for Brittany is part of supporting the economic development of Breton companies, she explained during the vote on the move in June. “The community and taxpayers should not have to pay for those who want to preserve practices of the past,” in the context of combating greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, said a press release issued Tuesday by the elected environmentalists of the Regional Council of Brittany.

According to the Ecological Transition Agency’s (Ademe) calculator, traveling Brest to Paris by TGV train emits 1.5 kg CO2 per person, compared to 116 kg CO2 on a short-haul plane.