Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) took delivery of its first of two A330-900s on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) after F-ONEO (msn 1937) was handed over at a ceremony at Toulouse Blagnac on Wednesday, July 31.
During a press conference, the carrier's chief executive, Didier Tappero, told French tourism journal Tourmag that F-ONEO is slated to enter service on August 10 on its Nouméa La Tontouta-Tokyo Narita, Japan route.
Aircalin's second A330neo, F-ONET (msn 1938), is due to arrive in September and will be deployed on long-haul routes to Asia and Australia, he added.
Owned by the government of the French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, Aircalin also has two A320-200neo on order from Airbus deliveries of which will take place in 2020 and 2021.
Collectively, the New Generation aircraft will replace Aircalin's existing fleet of two A320ceo (average age 13.4 years) and two A330-200s (average age 16.7 years). Of the A320ceo, one is leased from AerCap while the other is leased from GA Telesis Capital Management. GA Telesis also owns the two A330-200s.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Aircalin deploys its A330s on scheduled flights from Nouméa to Osaka Kansai and Tokyo Narita in Japan as well as Papeete in Tahiti, and Sydney Kingsford Smith in Australia.