Sandrine de Saint Sauveur: I think it's more than ever a combination of the two. Originally, it was a question of power, whether we like it or not, because it allows to open up a region. This is all the more obvious for islanders: we could mention the Faroe Islands, with Atlantic Airways, or Corsica with Air
own airline, APG Airlines. We have just renewed our IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certificate: it's complicated. Air transport is not a commodity. The day a country closes down, we realise that too. There was a time when everyone flew to Caracas, Venezuela, and it was fashionable. I think even
Corsica, or Malta with KM Malta Airlines, or Mauritius with Air Mauritius. There are many exemples where the airli- ne is the key to opening up a country. People say then that air travel has become a commidity. I think it’s a fundamental er- ror of vocabulary. Firstly, because everything about air travel is extre- mely complex: getting a plane to depart on time in complete safety can never be reduced to a commo- dity. I know something about this since we have our
Concorde flew to Caracas. When airlines stop flying to a country, it's a tragedy! I can't even understand why Europeans don't want to see that! When we can no longer connect with each other, when borders close, it's a real tragedy! So political will is essential in this business. Besides, there have always been transhumance and migration. People migrate and move, and fortunately they can do so. With the pan- demic, everyone should have been more aware of what it means not to be allowed to move. It's as if people today are too spoilt, that they no longer understand the importance of what has happened thanks to air travel. Do we take the plane or the
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