Airbus Updates No.2653

Aircalin to receive two Airbus A320neo in 2021

May 14, 2020   

Nouméa, New Caledonia - The New Caledonian flag carrier Aircalin is expecting an 80% drop in its revenues due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline presented a backup and recovery plan including route cuts and a 20% reduction in the employee payrolls.

The plan includes the voluntary departure of 480 employees. On the network side, the savings will come from the elimination of Melbourne-Tullamarine and Osaka-Kansai routes.

The French carrier will take delivery of two Airbus A320neo next year as it was previously planned. Two A330-900 on order already joined the airline's fleet.

Aircalin estimates that losses related to the coronavirus crisis to be around 6.7 million euros (USD7,2 million) per month. Four of seven aircraft in the fleet will stay in the ground until further notice.

Airbus Updates No.2569

STORED AIRBUS

RIGA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (RIX)

Air Baltic Airbus A220

YL-AAU - YL-CSB - YL-CSA - YL-AAR - YL-AAQ - YL-CSK - YL-CSJ - YL-AAV
YL-AAO - YL-CSE - YL-CSN - YL-CSH - YL-CSD - YL-AAS - YL-AAT - YL-AAP
YL-CSC - YL-CSL - YL-CSM -YL-CSI

SmartLynx Airbus A320

YL-LCL - 9H-SLA - ES-SAS - ES-SAU - YL-LCP - YL-LCU

Wizzair Airbus A320

HA-LWT - HA-LYF


DONCASTER SHEFFIELD AIRPORT (DSA)

Wizzair Airbus A320

G-WUKH - G-WUKK - G-WUKI - G-WUKE


MARANA PINAL AIRPORT (MZJ)

Delta Airlines Airbus A330

N831NW - N855NW - N818NW - N856NW - N853NW - N817NW - N857NW
N820NW

Aer Lingus Airbus A330

EI-EWR

Aircalin Airbus A330

F-OJSE


VICTORVILLE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOGISITICS AIRPORT (VCV)

Federal Express Airbus A300

N675FE

Airbus Updates No.2401

New Caledonia's Aircalin takes re-delivery of first A330neo

Aircalin Airbus A330-900N © Airbus

19.12.2019 - 10:42 UTC

Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) has taken re-delivery of its first A330-900, 1.5 months after the aircraft was returned to Airbus given a strong odour of oil in the cabin.

F-ONET (msn 1938) was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac to Osaka Kansai on December 17-18, 2019, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The aircraft was initially delivered to the New Caledonian flag carrier on October 2 but subsequently grounded on October 29 and ferried back to Toulouse for checks over the course of November 16-18.

The other A330-900 operated by Aircalin, F-ONEO (msn 1937), did not experience any similar issues.

During the absence of the A330neo, Aircalin reactivated an A330-200, F-OJSE (msn 510), which was used to operate as flight SB880 to Osaka on December 19. The return leg will most likely be operated by the A330-900.

While Aircalin planned to retire the A330-200s with the delivery of the -900s, it deliberately retained one of the older jets to act as a spare during the newer widebodies' teething period.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Aircalin also operates two A320-200s, one DHC-6-300, and one -400. It has two A320-200neo on firm order from the manufacturer.

Airbus Updates No.2339

Aircalin sends A330-900 back to Toulouse for inspections

Aircalin Airbus A330-900N © Airbus

18.11.2019 - 22:06 UTC

Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) has temporarily withdrawn one A330-900 from service and ferried it back to Toulouse Blagnac for checks due to a strong oil smell in the cabin, AFP has reported.

F-ONET (msn 1938), an aircraft delivered to Aircalin in early October 2019, was withdrawn from revenue flights on October 29, 2019, after operating from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Nouméa La Tontouta, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. After operating a pair of test flights around Nouméa, it was subsequently flown via Osaka Kansai to Toulouse over the course of November 16-18, 2019.

Airbus and Rolls-Royce mechanics were reportedly not able to solve the problem in New Caledonia, prompting the need to ferry the aircraft back to Toulouse.

Aircalin continues to operate the other of its two A330-900s, F-ONEO (msn 1937).

The New Caledonian flag carrier reactivated its only remaining A330-200, F-OJSE (msn 510) to cover for the absence of one -900. Chief Commercial Officer William Le Grand recently told ch-aviation that the airline retained the -200 in case the -900s would experience teething issues.

Similar problems were experienced by TAP Air Portugal (TP, Lisbon) on some of its sixteen A330-900s earlier this year.

Airbus Updates No.2237

New Caledonia's Aircalin takes delivery of first A330neo

Aircalin Airbus A330-900N © Airbus

01.08.2019 - 12:26 UTC

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.

Airbus Updates No.1677

New Caledonia's Aircalin firms up A320neo, A330neo order

Illustration of Aircalin Airbus A330-900neo© Airbus

21 hours ago

Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) has firmed up its order for two A320neos and two A330-900neo announced in November last year as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under its Aircalin 2021 growth plan.

According to Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac), the A320neo are powered by Pratt & Whitney and are equipped with 168 seats. The first of the type is due in the second quarter of 2020 with the second due in 2021. The A330neo are Rolls-Royce-powered and feature 26 seats in Business, 21 in Premium and 244 in Economy Class. The first A330neo is due during the second quarter of 2019, the second in the third quarter, and the third during the course of 2021.

Collectively, the aircraft will be used to replace the carrier's fleet of two A320-200s and two A330-200s that are currently used to serve Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands as well as Japan. Following Beijing's decision to designate New Caledonia an approved tourism destination, Aircalin has now secured a charter contract with a Chinese tour operator to run charter flights from Hangzhou, China, to Nouméa La Tontouta from February 16, 2018, onwards. The service is seen as a litmus test for future scheduled operations to China.

Aircalin is 99.4% owned by the government of the French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia through one of its public entities, ADANC (l’Agence pour la desserte aérienne de la Nouvelle-Calédonie). Aircalin is not intended to be a profitable entity as government believes the overall benefits the airline brings to the island outweigh its losses. In this context, Aircalin's key objectives are to serve New Caledonia's tourism and business markets.