Charter company to
pp. 28-32 · Read in the full issue
trade winds
Charter company to fly to Noumea
The French charter com pany Minerve has announced plans to service New Caledonia with a Paris -Montreal-Honolu lu-Noumea route due to open in September.
Minerve’s Chief Executive, Mr Rene-Fernand Meyer said in Noumea in July that they also hoped to establish a Tokyo- Noumea route within the next year.
Meyer was in New Caledonia for talks with the Chamber of Commerce, the Office of Tour ism, hotel owners and political leaders.
While the French High Council for Commercial Aviation(CSAM) has given approval for Minerve’s entry to New Caledonia, the Minister of Transport has not yet signed the agreement.
The company plans to start
with flights every two weeks, with weekly flights during peak seasons - these schedules would be revised after one year. A modified DC 8 73 (250 seats) and a DC 10 30 (300 seats) would be used according to seasons and demand, Meyer said.
Prior to the change of gov ernment in France in 1986 (and the liberalisation of air trans port) Minerve passengers had to travel to Brussels for the charter flights, but since flights now leave from Paris the com pany’s passenger numbers to the Caribbean have risen by nearly 100,000.
Meyer predicts that 20% of Minerve’s New Caledonia clients would be budget tourists and 50% would be families of Caledonian residents.
However, he is also confident that negotiations currently under way with the French Government will lead to Minerve taking some of the traffic of CRS riot police.
Minerve’s 1986 turn over was 400 million French francs (A$ 93 million), double their 1985 turn over. Meyer forecasts a 1987 figure of 600 million French francs (A$ 139.5 mil lion).
The company’s personnel numbers 450, and its fleet comprises six DCBs, one MD 83 and two Caravelles, with a DC 10 30 to be added shortly.
Meanwhile UTA’s Noumea management has announced a new fare structure, including reduced fares for some age groups, and has denied these moves are a response to the proposed Minerve entry to New Caledonia.
The new fares, which take effect from September, include reductions for the over-60s,
students, groups and for 12 to 26 year olds, a super-Apex, reduction in the round-the world fare, and a reduction by two months of the high season.
UTA has also announced that orders have been placed for two Boeing 747 400, to be used on the Paris-Noumea run by 1989, and 12 Airbus A 340 (the first to be delivered in 1992). The 747 400 would enable UTA to fly Paris-Singa pore without stopover, and eventually Singapore-Noumea without stopovers.
But New Caledonia’s domes tic airline, Air Caledonie, is experiencing problems follow ing the purchase of the ATR 42.
The company, which took pos session of its first ATR 42 in June 1986, totalled only 1,525 flying hours in 12 months with the new plane which needs 2000 hours minimum to be profitable.
Air Caledonie is finding the ATR 42 unsuitable for New Caledonie, where most passen gers prefer only early morning or late afternoon flights and although the new plane cuts flying time to the Loyalty Is lands by nearly half, one can’t serve all the routes.
Moreover, the company would need to increase fares by 30% to reduce the loss, an impossibility with its clientele.
The company is now finding that the plane is more suited to longer haul regional routes such as to Vanuatu, Wallis Island or Fiji; routes that belong to Air Caledonie International, which also runs at a loss.
Two ATR 42s were ordered five years ago when the future included prospects for hotels in the islands, tourism was expan ding and Air Caledonie In-
ternational was expected to complement the local carrier in its services.
Instead, tourism has suffered from the political turmoil of 1984, the hotel on Ouvea Is land was arsoned, and Air Caledonie International has no links with the domestic Air Caledonie.
The second plane is due for delivery in 1988 and payments, which began in 1982 will in crease until the delivery date.
The Board of Directors of Air Caledonie (the Territory is the major shareholder) will thus consider the immediate sale of the second plane, since the order cannot be cancelled.
Air Caledonie International-flies at a loss.