French bee expands flights to La Réunion

French bee, a long-haul low-cost airline, has announced its intention to increase the number of weekly flights between Paris-Orly and La Réunion to up to 14. The airline has been operating in La Réunion since June 16, 2017, and has positioned this route as a key market in its operations.

Passenger numbers and market share

French bee transported over 400,000 passengers between Paris-Orly and La Réunion in 2025, with nearly 300,000 travelers using the route between January and the end of August 2026. The airline holds a 27% market share on the Paris-Réunion route in 2026, with its share reaching 28% during July and August 2026, a period marked by a 14% increase in passengers compared to a 2% overall traffic growth on the route.

Growth and partnerships

French bee now ranks second among airlines on the Paris-Réunion route in terms of passengers transported and will offer the largest number of seats on this route during the end-of-year holidays in 2026. The overseas territory represents more than 40% of its revenue, and since the route's opening, over 2.8 million passengers have traveled with it between Paris and La Réunion.

Future plans and managed growth

For the future, French bee intends to continue a "managed growth" on its Réunion market, with a goal of "reaching up to 14 weekly flights." However, it has not specified the deadline or periods concerned by this frequency level. The airline also aims to develop travel opportunities to and from La Réunion and strengthen its partnerships with other carriers, including Air Corsica, Air Caraïbes, and others, which allow connecting the four Corsican airports via Paris-Orly to the island.

Airport traffic and competition

La Réunion-Roland Garros Airport recorded 1,821,828 passengers between January and August 2026, a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Including transit passengers, the total traffic reached 1.8 million passengers, an increase of 1.2%. These data include both arriving and departing passengers and do not reflect the number of distinct travelers or solely tourist traffic on the island.

Competitive market and tourism trends

French bee operates in a competitive market, with three other airlines offering direct flights between Paris and La Réunion-Roland Garros: Corsair from Paris-Orly, as well as Air France and Air Austral from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. According to the Regional Tourism Observatory, La Réunion welcomed 580,675 external tourists in 2025, an increase of 4.3% year-on-year, with tourism revenue reaching 483.7 million euros, up 3.2%.

Tourism offerings and tour operators

Five tour operators are marketing trips to La Réunion, offering a variety of travel options including beach holidays, self-drive tours, and hiking. TUI offers self-drive tours, guided tours, and star-shaped tours, such as "Saveurs – Escapade créole" and "Bouquet créole." Bourse des Voyages provides hotel and residence stays, with the option of car rentals. Kuoni offers stays with excursions combining island discovery and seaside relaxation, such as the "Ti Zil Bourbon" program. Fram provides self-drive tours including flights, accommodation, and car rental, like the "La Réunion de Sites en Sites" tour. Terres d’Aventure offers hiking, treks, discovery circuits, and independent travel, including itineraries in the Mafate, Cilaos, and Salazie cirques.