Air France will launch a new nonstop service between Pointe-à-Pitre and Panama City on December 11, 2026, strengthening Guadeloupe’s links with the Americas while opening additional connection opportunities for passengers travelling from Martinique and French Guiana.
The seasonal route will operate twice weekly until March 5, 2027, subject to the required government approvals. Through Panama City, passengers will gain access to a wider network of destinations served by Copa Airlines across Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Twice-weekly flights from Guadeloupe
Air France will operate the route with a 170-seat Airbus A320 featuring Business and Economy cabins.Flights will depart Pointe-à-Pitre on Mondays and Fridays at 4:30 p.m., arriving in Panama City at 6:55 p.m. local time. Return services will leave Panama City on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. and arrive in Pointe-à-Pitre at 1:05 p.m.
Bookings opened on July 22 through Air France’s Guadeloupe website and travel agencies.
The schedule has been designed to facilitate connections in Pointe-à-Pitre for passengers travelling from Fort-de-France and Cayenne. The service will therefore extend beyond the Guadeloupe–Panama market by providing Martinique and French Guiana with one-stop access to the Panamanian hub.
Access to Copa Airlines’ network
Panama City’s strategic value lies in its role as Copa Airlines’ main connecting platform. Through the partnership between Air France and Copa Airlines, passengers will be able to continue their journey on the Panamanian carrier’s network, with baggage checked through to their final destination.
Around 15 onward destinations have been highlighted, including Asunción, Georgetown, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Quito, Havana, Lima, Managua, Montevideo, Port of Spain, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, San Salvador, San José and Tegucigalpa.
The airport also expects the route to create additional connection opportunities towards the West Coast of the United States, although no specific US destinations have been detailed.
The new service therefore represents more than the addition of Panama City to Air France’s regional schedule. It will create a new connection path between the French Caribbean, French Guiana and several markets that currently require more complex itineraries.
Pointe-à-Pitre’s regional connecting role
Guadeloupe Maryse Condé Airport is positioning the service as an important step in the development of its regional network.
By combining Air France feeder services from Fort-de-France and Cayenne with onward connections through Panama City, Pointe-à-Pitre is expected to strengthen its role as a connecting platform for the French territories in the region.
Alain Bièvre, Chairman of the Management Board of Société Aéroportuaire Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes, said the route would reinforce the airport’s regional ambitions and create new travel opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors.
“It strengthens our role as a regional hub and opens new connection opportunities to Central America, Latin America and the West Coast of the United States,” he said.
The service also reflects the airport’s long-standing partnership with Air France, which remains a central operator in Guadeloupe’s domestic, regional and long-haul connectivity.
Part of Air France’s wider regional expansion
The Panama City route forms part of the continued development of Air France’s Caribbean Regional Network.
The airline already links Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France and Cayenne with destinations including Miami, Belém and Fortaleza. Panama City will add a major Central American connecting point to this network.
Lionel Rault, Air France-KLM’s Regional Director for the Caribbean, said the new route would reaffirm the airline’s position in connecting the French Caribbean and French Guiana with the Americas.
He also linked the opening to Air France’s recent expansion towards Belém and Fortaleza, as well as the strengthening of long-haul services to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
The development suggests that Air France is increasingly structuring its regional network around a combination of direct routes and connecting partnerships, rather than relying solely on services through Europe.
For Pointe-à-Pitre, the route offers an opportunity to consolidate its position within that network. Its success will depend not only on local demand between Guadeloupe and Panama, but also on its ability to attract connecting traffic from Martinique and French Guiana and feed passengers into Copa Airlines’ broader continental network.
