Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) is in discussions about adding a third A330-900, which would allow it to launch in-house services to Paris CDG, Chief Executive Didier Tappero told the Aviation Week Network.
"We are working with Airbus to eventually order a third widebody aircraft. We want to have the capacity to fly Paris to Nouméa La Tontouta, but it is still a project we have to work on," Tappero said.
The New Caledonian carrier currently relies on its codeshare and interline agreements to connect the French collectivity in the Pacific Ocean with the metropole. It operates two A330-900s, which it deploys to Papeete, Sydney Kingsford Smith, and Tokyo Narita, and has just added Singapore Changi to its network. It has a codeshare agreement with Air France on routes from Paris CDG to Narita and Singapore, and an interline agreement with Singapore Airlines on the Singapore-Paris route.
Tappero said Aircalin was hopeful that Singapore would become an important connecting hub. The airline currently serves the city 2x weekly but plans to grow it to 3x and eventually 4x weekly.
The ch-aviation fleets shows Aircalin also operates one A320-200N (with a second unit due shortly) deployed to destinations in the Pacific and two DHC-6-300s plying the PSO route between Wallis and Futuna Island Pointe Vele.
Paris is well beyond the range of the A330-900 from Noumea. The airline would have to serve the French capital via another city, most likely in Asia. Fellow French Pacific carrier Air Tahiti Nui, whose base in Papeete is even more remote, uses B787-9s to serve Paris via Los Angeles International.
