Aircalin, Air Caledonie International Press review

NEW CABINS: AIRCALIN AIRBUS A.330 RETROFIT WORK POISED TO START

Work on the full cabin retrofit of AIRCALIN's two Airbus A.330 will begin on 1st October. The aircrafts will be successively grounded for one month in Hong Kong.
Passengers can look forward to a galaxy of new features: seats, in-flight entertainment system, overall cabin ambiance, cabin crew uniforms, tableware... in both Economy and Hibiscus Classes, improvements to come are numerous! Read this press kit to discover AIRCALIN A.330 new cabins.

Read this press kit to discover AIRCALIN A.330 new cabins.

From 1 July 2012 AIRCALIN passengers will benefit from new regulations covering their hold baggage, which will allow them additional kilos.

Today, across all AIRCALIN’s network, Economy class passengers are allowed 20 kgs. of checked in luggage, with 30 kgs. for those in Hibiscus class.

This baggage allowance by weight will soon be replaced by a ‘piece concept’ allowance:

• In Economy class passengers will be allowed one 23 kg. piece of luggage,
• In Hibiscus class, the allowance will be two pieces at 23 kg. each.

With this new regulation, the Caledonian airline comes into line with standards adopted by a growing number of companies, especially by its principal airline partners. This will facilitate more streamlined international travel for its passengers.

This new regulation will be applied on all AIRCALIN routes, with the exception of flights to and from Wallis. On these flights, to meet client special needs, the “by weight” regulation will be kept, but with an increased allowance from 20 kgs. to 23 kgs.

These new regulations will be effective for all tickets issued from 1 July 2012.

(Special allowances for passengers travelling to Metropolitan France on flights with Air France or Aircalin or its other partners Finnair or KLM will remain unchanged, i.e. 2 pieces with maximum weight of 23 kgs. per piece in Economy and 2 pieces with maximum weight of 32 kgs per piece in Hibiscus or Business).

At the same time, AIRCALIN is revising its pricing policy, notably the introduction of single journeys for the equivalent of 50% of the corresponding return fare over all its network. “This particular effort should especially facilitate long haul journeys for young Caledonians going to study outside the country”, said Jean-Michel Masson, the company’s President and CEO.

For further information, go to www.aircalin.com – passenger information – useful information – baggage

Discover our Quickstart Guide to New Caledonia

New Caledonia is located in the heart of the largest lagoon in the world, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO since July 2008. It is home to an archipelago of beautiful islands and more than 900 species of coral, many of which are unique to New Caledonia. We invite you to experience the diversity of this beautiful Pacific island, the French and Kanak culture, the rugged coastlines, the unspoilt white sand beaches and the natural tropical rainforests.

Click on our "Quickstart Guide to New Caledonia" to help you with useful information you may need for planning your trip.

AIRCALIN INCREASES ITS FLIGHTS TO SYDNEY

From 12 July next AIRCALIN will offer a new flight to Sydney at noon on Tuesdays. With this new service, by Airbus 320, the Caledonian company will provide a choice of 9 weekly flights between Noumea and Sydney.

AIRCALIN has decided to increase its service between Noumea and Sydney with the introduction of a new flight on Tuesdays. The new service will be by Airbus A320, commencing on 12 July. From this date the Caledonian company will be providing 9 weekly flights, linking New Caledonia with Australia’s economic capital daily in each direction.

The new flights will take place each Tuesday at the following times:

• Departure Noumea 12.30. Arrival Sydney 14.50
• Departure Sydney 16.10. Arrival Noumea 20.00

The Noumea-Sydney line is AIRCALIN’s most important regional link.

Sydney, in effect, is one of the Caledonian clientele’s favourite destinations, as much for business as for pleasure, as well as providing a good hub for travelling to other Australian towns, South East Asia, North America and even Europe, thanks to the multiple agreements Aircalin has reached with many other regional companies. The majority of Australian tourists coming to visit New Caledonia take this route when coming from the Sydney or Melbourne regions.

“This increase in our Sydney service answers the needs of the Caledonian clientele, as much as those of its tourist industry, for which the Australian market is important” said Jean-Michel MASSON, AIRCALIN’s General Manager, before specifying “With this flight, the company will be making almost 90,000 seats per year available on the Noumea-Sydney route and this additional capacity will be especially welcomed during peak periods.”