Vanuatu: Port-Vila rotation operated by Aircalin on 25/08/2025

Due to a technical issue and the unavailability of one of the fleet’s aircraft, the airline informs its customers that flights TY915/SB3240 and TY916/SB3241 will be operated in partnership with Aircalin on board an A320.

All passengers have therefore been transferred to the following flights today (25 August 2025):

  • 25 August 2025, flight SB900 – Nouméa to Port-Vila: departure at 16:50, arrival at 18:10

  • 25 August 2025, flight SB901 – Port-Vila to Nouméa: departure at 19:25, arrival at 20:25

The airline apologizes for the inconvenience caused and thanks its customers for their understanding.

[Update – August 25 at 6:45 PM] Flight schedule disruptions

[Update on 25 August at 3:00 PM]

Following the various cancellations since 22 August, the airline has worked in partnership with Betico to set up a special maritime rotation in order to reroute passengers affected by a flight cancellation.

Accordingly, passengers identified as awaiting transfer are automatically reassigned to the following Betico rotations (26th August):

  • Departure from Nouméa at 07:00 ➝ Arrival in Maré at 11:00

  • Departure from Maré at 11:45 ➝ Arrival in Lifou at 13:45

  • Departure from Lifou at 14:30 ➝ Arrival in Nouméa at 19:30

Passengers will be notified by SMS or email. The airline wishes to remind customers awaiting transfer that it is not necessary to book a ticket directly with Betico to be reassigned.

The airline thanks its customers for their understanding.

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[Update – August 22 at 6:45 PM]

Due to technical issues affecting one of our aircraft, the airline has been forced to cancel several flights scheduled for Friday, August 22. The flight schedule for Saturday, August 23, and Sunday, August 24, is also heavily disrupted, with further cancellations expected.

At this stage, passengers awaiting transfer have been identified, and our teams are fully mobilized to provide rebooking solutions as quickly as possible. However, during this peak travel period linked to the end of the holiday season, and given the reduction of our capacity (fleet downsized since 2024), rebooking options are limited. As a result, the first transfers may only be possible in the coming days.

Freight service disruptions are also expected.

Practical information for passengers

  • Affected passengers will be notified by SMS or e-mail, using the contact details provided at the time of booking, as soon as a rebooking solution becomes available. If you have not received any notification by SMS or e-mail, this means that no transfer solution can be offered to you at this time.

  • Please do not go to the airport in the hope of being placed on standby.

  • Passengers who are not satisfied with the proposed solution, or who wish to postpone or cancel their trip, are invited to complete the regularization form. This will free up their seat and help prioritize rebooking for passengers with urgent travel needs.

  • Passengers affected by a flight cancellation are invited to consult the dedicated help page, where all information related to cancellations is available.

The airline apologizes for the inconvenience caused and thanks its customers for their understanding.

Ongoing disruption to the flight schedule – Current situation

For several days, the company has been facing a series of challenges leading to a cascade of flight cancellations. During this period of high traffic due to the August school holidays, the possibilities for re-routing passengers are severely limited. This situation is exacerbated by the temporary reduction of our fleet: since October 2024, only 2 out of the usual 4 ATR 72-600s have been available in New Caledonia.

To date, individuals awaiting transfer have been identified, and our teams are fully mobilized to provide solutions to the affected passengers as soon as possible.

However, the first passenger transfers will not be able to take place for several days. All affected passengers will gradually receive their convocation via email and SMS according to the contact details provided during their booking.

The company reminds customers that it is unnecessary to go to the terminal directly hoping to board at another time; no waiting list is managed on-site.

Additionally, if the proposed transfer solution does not satisfy the affected customers, the company encourages those involved to fill out the regularization form. This will allow them to free up their seat and thus prioritize the repositioning of individuals with urgent travel reasons.

The company understands the frustration this situation may cause and apologizes for the inconvenience experienced.

Ongoing disruption to the flight schedule

Air Calédonie advises of disruptions to its flight schedule and asks its customers to take note of the following recommendations:

Postpone your trip if possible

Our teams are fully mobilized to offer transfer solutions to affected passengers as quickly as possible. However, due to the saturation of our capacity during this school holiday period, the room for arranging additional flights is extremely limited.
Therefore, the airline encourages customers who can do so to postpone their trip and to indicate their preferred corrective option as soon as possible via the online form: https://www.air-caledonie.nc/en/book-and-manage/customer-service/cancel-modify-refund/

An information page is available to guide you in case of cancellation: https://www.air-caledonie.nc/en/travel/in-case-of-contingencies-is-your-flight-delayed-or-cancelled/

Use the website where possible

We remind our customers that all essential travel procedures can be completed online: ticket booking (including with the Transport Card), cargo booking, check-in, requests to postpone or change a ticket, etc. We encourage our customers to use this channel to carry out their procedures in order to avoid overloading the call center.

Suspension of cargo service

Repositioning passengers affected by cancellations is a priority, so cargo services have been adjusted: freight shipments from Nouméa to the Loyalty Islands are temporarily suspended and parcels awaiting shipment will be progressively redirected as soon as possible. Recipients will be informed by SMS as soon as their parcel is available at the destination freight counter, and parcel tracking remains active using the LTA number.
The freight service to Île des Pins is not affected by these adjustments.

The airline thanks its customers for their patience and understanding.