Thousands of residents in the overseas department of French Guiana have been left struggling to get around after its only private airline, Air Guyane, was placed in liquidation.
Local and national authorities are taking emergency measures to maintain essential travel links in the French territory on the northern coast of South America, where several towns are only accessible by air.
Until this month around a dozen communities with some 30,000 inhabitants relied on Air Guyane for year-round transport, as well around 20,000 tourists annually.
The Interregional Express Airline Company (Caire), the aviation group that owns the carrier, declared bankruptcy at the beginning of August.
Both Air Guyane and Caire's other airline, Air Antilles, were given two months to continue operating while a buyer was sought.
But while a public-private partnership agreed to take over Air Antilles, which serves France's island territories in the Caribbean, Air Guyane folded for good on 1 October.
Its three 19-seater planes have been grounded and all 78 staff laid off.
'Abandonment'
Without the airline, teachers haven't been able to reach schools and the cost of supplies has gone up, RFI's correspondent Emma Chevaillier reports from the capital, Cayenne.
"It's a catastrophic situation," says Philippe Dekon, who lives in the commune of Maripasoula and heads a local association, Apachi, that campaigns for better transport links.
"What's more, it's a kind of abandonment of the population of this commune – which is, I'll point out, the biggest commune in France [by land area]," he told RFI.
The regional authorities have hired a private plane for urgent journeys, while the national government is making two helicopters available for medical emergencies.
"There are obvious circumstances: medical evacuations, medical transport that's less urgent but necessary, and technical interventions on major infrastructure like power lines or telecommunications," said Antoine Poussier, the prefect of French Guiana.
Long-standing problem
For less urgent trips, people have been turning to boats – but in the middle of the dry season, which lasts from August to December, rivers aren't always high enough to make them a reliable option.
The situation has prompted fresh calls to build more roads in French Guiana, where transport and access is a long-standing problem.
"The inconsistencies in French Guiana are coming to light," Chester Léonce, the region's councillor for transport, told RFI.
"In mainland France it's clear they already have enough roads, but here we have a real problem getting around."
Regional representatives have indicated they plan to raise the issue with French President Emmanuel Macron as part of talks between the president and leaders of all France's overseas territories, scheduled for 20 October.
