it is pulling out of New Caledonia

AOM French airline denies rumours it is pulling out of New Caledonia

AOM French airlines, which links New Cale donia to metropolitan France, denied rumours that it was pulling out of its Noumea destination, an AOM representative told daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes.

The company’s denial came after the announcement a planned third weekly flight to and from Paris, scheduled to take place at the end of August, was finally can celled, because AOM hasn’t found a plane (ideally an Airbus A 340-200) to cater for it.

Airbus’s ordering books are currently full.

“Noumea is one of our most difficult destinations, with Papeete (French Polyne sia), because it’s the furthest.

So distance, operations and airport taxes

impose high costs,” AOM representative in

New Caledonia Regis Babey said.

However, he added, the company saw some merit in flights from New Caledon ian: they fill planes on AOM France’s domestic routes.

“30 per cent of the New Caledonian pas sengers, once in France, go to the French

provinces, not Paris.”

“AOM is not pulling out. Its build up is

quite clear.

We began with one flight a week, now we have three.

We have continuously improved com fort with new DC 10s and recently a new business class.

We haven’t invested all this for noth

ing.”

However, he conceded on another note, that “one cannot spontaneously create a further 200 passengers a week (on the Paris-Noumea route).”

“One has to watch the market, stimu late it and wait.

We’re staying on the New Caledonian market, even if it’s slowing down at the moment, it is bound to develop.

And let’s not forget we’re in a region where two large events are to happen next year, the America’s Cup and the Sydney

Olympics.”

AOM is to be taken over shortly by a consortium consisting of Swissair and another financial concern.

Apart from AOM, Air France also links New Caledonia to Paris via Tokyo. (PINA Nius Online) ■