There are few examples, in France as well as abroad, of airlines owned by a single family.
To locate the unique French instance, one must head to the Vendée region. It is in Belleville-sur-Vie, on the edge of La Roche-sur-Yon, where the adventure began in the mid-1970s.
A aviation enthusiast, Jean-Paul Dubreuil founded Air Vendée, the first of his airlines. It served the island of Yeu from Nantes and La Roche-sur-Yon, using a small aircraft. It was a different era.
Air Caraïbes and French bee would follow.
A remarkable success in an industry that had known numerous industrial disasters. In June 2023, the handover of power between Jean-Paul Dubreuil and his son, Paul-Henri Dubreuil, was finalized.
To mark the moment, the fifty-something-year-old man also wished to build his own winning duo, just as his father did with Marc Rochet.
A period of instability at the head of the airline group would then open up. It would be a heavy stretch for employees used to being lauded by the press as belonging to France’s most profitable airline group.
Yet the veneer seemed to be cracking a little.
Paul-Henri Dubreuil wished to respond to our article addressing this period, and to provide his clarifications on these past three years, rich in lessons.
To locate the unique French instance, one must head to the Vendée region. It is in Belleville-sur-Vie, on the edge of La Roche-sur-Yon, where the adventure began in the mid-1970s.
A aviation enthusiast, Jean-Paul Dubreuil founded Air Vendée, the first of his airlines. It served the island of Yeu from Nantes and La Roche-sur-Yon, using a small aircraft. It was a different era.
Air Caraïbes and French bee would follow.
A remarkable success in an industry that had known numerous industrial disasters. In June 2023, the handover of power between Jean-Paul Dubreuil and his son, Paul-Henri Dubreuil, was finalized.
To mark the moment, the fifty-something-year-old man also wished to build his own winning duo, just as his father did with Marc Rochet.
A period of instability at the head of the airline group would then open up. It would be a heavy stretch for employees used to being lauded by the press as belonging to France’s most profitable airline group.
Yet the veneer seemed to be cracking a little.
Paul-Henri Dubreuil wished to respond to our article addressing this period, and to provide his clarifications on these past three years, rich in lessons.
Paul-Henri Dubreuil: “more of a coincidence” than a high turnover of leaders
For two decades, Marc Rochet had formed a flawless partnership with his father; Paul-Henri Dubreuil found it harder to locate his own match.He first envisaged Christine Ourmières-Widener as the right person, only to part ways with her a year later. He then took the reins again, before quickly realizing that running airline companies is a full-time job, and he appointed Géry Mortreux.
Then came, in the summer, the departure of Grégory Jamet, the group’s chief executive of Dubreuil Aéro Services.
“These departures in such quick succession may give the impression, as you called it, of a carousel of leaders, but it is more of a coincidence. We appointed a new team to rise to new challenges.
Afterward, I can understand that Grégory Jamet may have grievances, and that’s normal.”
But we are speaking about the fate of 2,000 employees. The stakes are considerable and, to carry everything through, the synergy with the head of the division is essential. It happened what can occur in any company,” downplays Paul-Henri Dubreuil.
Before the former COHOR leader’s departure, there was Christine Ourmières-Widener.
The ex-head of TAP Air Portugal, who had passed through Air France, experienced a dramatic end to her mandate, largely due to an underestimation of the situation and a centralization in Paris that did not please everyone.
“Disagreements with Christine Ourmières over the strategy tied to the Antillean DNA”
“We wanted to rebuild the duo, where I took my father’s role and Christine that of Marc.
Remember that in 2023, my father was 81 and Marc Rochet 73. It was therefore the logical continuation.
For various reasons, it did not click. We are particularly attached to the DNA of our companies, notably Air Caraïbes, which is a Caribbean airline, with its headquarters in the Antilles and a very strong Caribbean rooting.
We had disagreements with Christine about the strategy linked to this Antillean DNA, such as the positioning of the seat in the Antilles and certain functions that tended to return to Orly“, explains, with transparency, the man who, like his father, is also a pilot.
Without a chief executive, Paul-Henri Dubreuil took sole charge of the airline division’s destiny.
If he knows the sector, he then discovers a new profession, with its operational demands and the necessity of oiling the political gears. He held the position for 18 months.
“It was somewhat new, even though I have worked within the group since 1994. Up to then, I was in charge of the distribution part.
I am therefore not a novice. I have always been a director of the airline division. I am a pilot myself, passionate about aviation. At Christine’s departure, I took on this responsibility with the general managers of the companies under my umbrella.
While fascinating, it is a demanding job. I did not see time pass at the head of the entity, and it was very instructive, even after turning fifty.
I was able to get into the details of the business and see all the sources of productivity we have within our house“, affirms the fifty-something.
The courteous exchange continued, notably around the chaotic episode of Grégory Jamet’s departure.
For, after Christine Ourmières-Widener, he is the second major figure to bear the brunt of Paul-Henri Dubreuil’s takeover.
With a flattering CV, often highlighted by the Vendée-based leader, his post as CEO of the Dubreuil Aéro Services group quickly appeared too narrow for the main interested party, who often sat to the right of the boss.
Remember that in 2023, my father was 81 and Marc Rochet 73. It was therefore the logical continuation.
For various reasons, it did not click. We are particularly attached to the DNA of our companies, notably Air Caraïbes, which is a Caribbean airline, with its headquarters in the Antilles and a very strong Caribbean rooting.
We had disagreements with Christine about the strategy linked to this Antillean DNA, such as the positioning of the seat in the Antilles and certain functions that tended to return to Orly“, explains, with transparency, the man who, like his father, is also a pilot.
Without a chief executive, Paul-Henri Dubreuil took sole charge of the airline division’s destiny.
If he knows the sector, he then discovers a new profession, with its operational demands and the necessity of oiling the political gears. He held the position for 18 months.
“It was somewhat new, even though I have worked within the group since 1994. Up to then, I was in charge of the distribution part.
I am therefore not a novice. I have always been a director of the airline division. I am a pilot myself, passionate about aviation. At Christine’s departure, I took on this responsibility with the general managers of the companies under my umbrella.
While fascinating, it is a demanding job. I did not see time pass at the head of the entity, and it was very instructive, even after turning fifty.
I was able to get into the details of the business and see all the sources of productivity we have within our house“, affirms the fifty-something.
The courteous exchange continued, notably around the chaotic episode of Grégory Jamet’s departure.
For, after Christine Ourmières-Widener, he is the second major figure to bear the brunt of Paul-Henri Dubreuil’s takeover.
With a flattering CV, often highlighted by the Vendée-based leader, his post as CEO of the Dubreuil Aéro Services group quickly appeared too narrow for the main interested party, who often sat to the right of the boss.
Paul-Henri Dubreuil: “No, the group is not navigating blindly!”
“As with Christine, we had disagreements with Grégory Jamet. He may have imagined certain things and I also think there was some confusion around his position, especially in the press.
The role Grégory occupied, and which Laurent Perrier now holds, is to steer the revenue. It is a very strategic role, all the more so right now, as our industry is under extreme pressure due to fuel prices.
More broadly, I am not a head-hunter; otherwise it would be known in a group that employs 7,000 people in total,“, he explains.
The former deputy general manager of maintenance at Air France thus arrives to manage the operational side, while Paul-Henri Dubreuil will be tasked with bringing his strategic vision.
The duo is complete. It is now time to get back on course, despite the air pockets created by the war in Iran.
“Géry Mortreux joined us on July 15th, and I wanted there to be a strong pair, especially on the revenue side. That is why we recruited Laurent Perrier. We have a top-notch team.
I am handing operational commands to Géry; he comes with a solid background and to secure our processes. The A350s are good aircraft, but there are still always discussions with Airbus, with Rolls-Royce, with the suppliers, with breakdowns, day and night flights, etc.
However, anything related to strategic vision, opening routes, purchases or leasing new aircraft… We make all these decisions together.
The family remains present. My father is still on the board, as is Marc Rochet, and my sister, Sophie Jean-Victor, is also present.
When you wrote that the group navigates blindly, I find that not true“, he politely says.
After surveying the early part of Paul-Henri Dubreuil’s mandate, we will address, in a forthcoming article, the strong headwinds that are rocking the aviation industry. Will the good pupil still be one in 2026? Answers to come.
The role Grégory occupied, and which Laurent Perrier now holds, is to steer the revenue. It is a very strategic role, all the more so right now, as our industry is under extreme pressure due to fuel prices.
More broadly, I am not a head-hunter; otherwise it would be known in a group that employs 7,000 people in total,“, he explains.
The former deputy general manager of maintenance at Air France thus arrives to manage the operational side, while Paul-Henri Dubreuil will be tasked with bringing his strategic vision.
The duo is complete. It is now time to get back on course, despite the air pockets created by the war in Iran.
“Géry Mortreux joined us on July 15th, and I wanted there to be a strong pair, especially on the revenue side. That is why we recruited Laurent Perrier. We have a top-notch team.
I am handing operational commands to Géry; he comes with a solid background and to secure our processes. The A350s are good aircraft, but there are still always discussions with Airbus, with Rolls-Royce, with the suppliers, with breakdowns, day and night flights, etc.
However, anything related to strategic vision, opening routes, purchases or leasing new aircraft… We make all these decisions together.
The family remains present. My father is still on the board, as is Marc Rochet, and my sister, Sophie Jean-Victor, is also present.
When you wrote that the group navigates blindly, I find that not true“, he politely says.
After surveying the early part of Paul-Henri Dubreuil’s mandate, we will address, in a forthcoming article, the strong headwinds that are rocking the aviation industry. Will the good pupil still be one in 2026? Answers to come.
