How long would you willingly stay on a plane for without getting off? Aircalin
may just be performing a social experiment to answer that question as it prepares to launch a direct flight between Noumea
(NOU) and Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
(CDG) on an Airbus A330neo. The flight will take roughly 26 hours, with a stop in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
, beginning in December.
The service is direct but not non-stop.
A long-awaited route
Photo: Airbus
Aircalin initially planned to launch a direct connection to Paris in 2026. However, due to the current political crisis in the French territory, it has been forced to slash its network. As we reported earlier last month, this included suspending services to Tokyo Narita, which prompted the same response from French flag carrier Air France which will only maintain its operation in Haneda.
Per France Info, the route is to be launched on December 11, 2024. In a press conference, the carrier noted that while it has the approval of its own government, it is waiting on the final word from Thailand, which it assures will not take long.
Tickets are to be launched on September 16, with flights operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The airline’s Airbus A330neo planes will be deployed on the flights. Stop included, the whole trip from Nouméa should last 26 hours.
Revenue-generating
According to a statement from the New Caledonian government, the decision to start the direct route at the end of this year is to “continue to generate new acceptable ways to deal with the fixed costs, in response to the consequences of the recent upheaval in the local economic context.”
Photo: Ryken Martin | Shutterstock
It also added that Aircalin estimates a total of 43,000 passengers to travel on the route in 2025 across the two weekly frequencies, rising to 64,000 in 2026. According to booking data, the number of passengers that traveled between Nouméa and Paris last year totaled 65,000 roundtrip. CEO Georges Selefen said:
“The objective is to generate new revenue and allow Aircalin to improve its economic situation, preserve its jobs and open growth and development perspectives.”
Plans for the A350
Aircalin’s only long-haul equipment currently includes a pair of Airbus A330neo planes according to ch-aviation data. These will inevitably be used to service the flight. Details about the planes are listed below.
|
Registration |
Age |
Delivery |
|---|---|---|
|
F-ONEO |
5.2 |
August 2019 |
|
F-ONET |
5.0 |
October 2019 |
Both have a total of 291 seats, divided as follows:
- 244 in economy class
- 21 in premium economy
- 26 in business class
France Info cites Selefen as saying that the aircraft are “perfectly adapted” to the service and will continue to do so until the airline receives its Airbus A350 aircraft.
One is due in 2026, and a second in 2028. It is unclear when Aircalin signed this agreement, as nothing is officially listed with Airbus. The airline could be planning to lease the planes, although no additional details are readily available. When asked by Simple Flying, Aircalin was not immediately available for a comment.
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying
However, at the end of last year, it was made clear that Aircalin wanted to launch direct flights to Paris with either the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 and was evaluating an order. It seems that a choice has been made.