New Caledonia’s Air Oceania eyes new aircraft to aid growth

By Andrew Curran.

New Caledonia’s Air Oceania wants to acquire additional aircraft to expand its flight schedule, Managing Director Michel Druet has told Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes. The move follows the carrier securing permission to operate scheduled passenger flights between Nouméa and Ouvéa and Maré in the Loyalty Islands.

“We are awaiting funding from ADANC [New Caledonia Air Service Agency] and the Loyalty Islands Province,” Druet said of the planned fleet expansion.

Air Oceania (formerly known as Air Loyauté) currently operates a single nine-seat Tecnam P2012 on its inter-island services from Nouméa Magenta Airport (GEA). The airline also flies a DHC-6-300 Twin Otter between Futuna Island (FUT) and Wallis (WLS). Before the pandemic, the carrier had a fleet of five aircraft but was forced to downsize to survive.

It is now looking to acquire two more aircraft of a similar type to meet growing demand for inter-island travel.

Blockades offer an opportunity for Air Oceania

Air Oceania has benefited from an ongoing blockade preventing Air Calédonie aircraft from operating to Ouvéa (UVE) and Maré (MEE). Local groups are protesting against the transfer of Air Calédonie’s Nouméa services from Magenta Airport to La Tontouta Airport (NOU).

At one stage, four airports were blockaded, but flights to Île des Pins (ILP) and Lifou (LIF) have since resumed. Nevertheless, the disruption, which began in early March, pushed Air Calédonie into financial crisis, forcing the airline to seek the local equivalent of voluntary administration in April.

“We were never involved in (that) conflict,” Druet said.

Groups opposed to New Caledonia’s Nouméa-based government and its ties to France have a long history of blockading airports to advance their political views.

However, the current blockade, now entering its fifth month, is having serious consequences. Aside from its impact on state-owned Air Calédonie, local businesses and residents have been hit hard by the loss of regular air services.

Compounding the situation, one of the few inter-island ferries is out of service until early August for scheduled maintenance. Even when running to schedule, the ferry journey between Nouméa and Maré takes around four hours, while the trip to Ouvéa takes approximately six hours.

Air Oceania approached to start Loyalty Island flights

Druet said representatives from Maré and Ouvéa recently approached Air Oceania about launching air services, prompting the airline to secure the necessary government approvals. The opportunity came at a fortunate time for Air Oceania, which had earlier suspended its Nouméa operations for several months while awaiting an engine part for its Tecnam aircraft.

Current approvals, valid until the end of September, allow Air Oceania to operate daily flights from Nouméa Magenta to Ouvéa and Maré, as well as weekly services to Tiga (TGJ). Druet said the flights are fully booked.

Meanwhile, there had been hopes that New Caledonia’s recent provincial elections would help break the territory’s long-running political deadlock and bring an end to the airport blockades. However, little has changed.

Parties politically aligned with the protesters failed to make significant gains, although the elections did usher in a noticeable generational shift, with several new candidates replacing outgoing politicians. For now, the airport blockades continue.

Photo: Air Oceania.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com