Air Calédonie resumes flights to Lifou after blockade ends

By Andrew Curran.

A New Caledonian high chief has ordered the reopening of Lifou Airport (LIF) in the Loyalty Islands, three months after protesters blockaded the facility.

As reported in Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes, Ukeinesoti Sihazé, the high chief of Wetr in Lifou, ordered the reopening on June 1, 2026, after consulting with other local high chiefs. Air Calédonie is resuming flights today, June 3.

Protesters began blockading Île des Pins (ILP), Maré (MEE), Lifou, and Ouvéa (UVE) airports in early March in response to a government decision to transfer Air Calédonie’s Nouméa hub from Magenta Airport (GEA) to La Tontouta Airport (NOU).

The blockade at Île des Pins ended in late March, allowing Air Calédonie to resume flights there. However, until now, protesters had maintained blockades at the three Loyalty Islands airports.

“For several weeks, I have been observing with grave concern the stalemate surrounding services to our islands,” Sihazé said earlier this week.

“It is clear that there has been no real and significant progress in handling this matter,” he added.

“Following confirmation that blockades at Wanaham Aerodrome (Lifou) have been lifted, Air Calédonie announces the gradual resumption of flights to and from Lifou starting Wednesday, June 3, 2026,” a notice on the airline’s website reads.

Sihazé reportedly intervened at Lifou after noting the economic and social impacts of the blockade, saying sick people could not travel to Nouméa for treatment and students could not return to schools and colleges.

“Our businesses, hotels, transport companies, and families are on the verge of collapse, with incomes reduced to almost nothing,” he said.

Government makes some Magenta Airport concessions

Despite months of negotiations, Sihazé said the New Caledonian Government was unlikely to reverse its decision to move Air Calédonie’s Nouméa flights away from Magenta Airport. The territory’s president has also stated this will not happen.

However, the government has abandoned plans to close Magenta Airport entirely, at least for now.

Air Oceania resumed flights between Magenta and Lifou in May using its Tecnam P2012 aircraft. The newspaper report said this was part of a negotiated public service arrangement with the government. Protesters have allowed the Air Oceania aircraft to operate in and out of Lifou Airport.

The resuming Air Calédonie services will operate from La Tontouta, but Sihazé said the Air Oceania flights should satisfy most people who wanted to travel to Magenta, which was another reason for ending the Lifou blockade.

A positive step for Air Calédonie

The resumption of Air Calédonie flights to Lifou represents a breakthrough for the airline, which entered bankruptcy administration in April and continues operating a reduced network only because court-appointed administrators recommended it be allowed to continue flying.

The airline says the reopening of Lifou is a positive step forward and expects strong demand for seats. However, it cautions that it may take time to properly assess how much revenue the resumed route will generate.

“It will improve our financial situation. But to truly analyse it, we need to see the actual sales figures,” an airline spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, talks continue with protest representatives at Maré and Ouvéa in an effort to resume flights there as soon as possible.

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com