A critical report from the regional chamber of accounts highlights the governance failure of La Réunion's second airport in Saint-Pierre. Left-wing elected officials blame local right-wing leaders for inconsistencies, as the managing mixed syndicate has been in judicial recovery since February. This issue resurfaces ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.
The regional chamber of accounts of La Réunion-Mayotte has released a highly critical report on the Syndicat mixte de Pierrefonds (SMP), responsible for managing the island's second airport, located in the south at Saint-Pierre. Placed in judicial recovery in February, the SMP faces a dire situation: zero commercial flights scheduled for 2025, despite around fifty employees, and accumulated debts of 6.3 million euros. The airport has failed to attract airlines, despite substantial public aid.
The document, revealed by the satirical media Le Tangue and reviewed by Le Monde, identifies the elected officials on the SMP as the main culprits of this debacle. While the Covid-19 health crisis initiated difficulties for many small airports, the report highlights underlying power rivalries among local political barons. These are compounded by an ongoing conflict between the two southern intermunicipalities, Casud and Civis, the primary members of the mixed syndicate.
The chamber of accounts also criticizes the French state and the regional council of La Réunion for an overly passive stance. According to the financial magistrates, these authorities failed to apply « more stringent oversight » to prevent the crisis from worsening.
On the occasion of this report, which has not yet been officially released, left-wing elected officials on the island accuse local right-wing leaders of inconsistencies in managing the airport platform. This controversy emerges in a tense electoral context ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, where local governance issues could carry significant weight.