Aircalin signs Flight Hour Services contract for Airbus A350-900 fleet

New Caledonia's flagship carrier, Aircalin, has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its incoming fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The airline currently has two of the latest-generation long-range widebody aircraft on order, with the first scheduled for delivery at the end of 2026. The agreement was signed at MRO Asia in Singapore by Eric Boucher, Vice-President Maintenance & Engineering at Aircalin, and Maud Rotureau, Vice-President Commercial Services at Airbus. The contract marks the first Airbus A350 FHS agreement signed with an airline in the Pacific region.

The long-term power-by-the-hour agreement covers a comprehensive package of integrated component support services, including on-site stock, pool access, and repair capabilities. The solution is designed to ensure component availability and enhance operational reliability across Aircalin's long-haul network.

Under the agreement, Aircalin will benefit from Airbus' extensive supply chain capabilities, access to one of the industry's largest component inventories, advanced engineering expertise, and the data-driven insights provided by the Skywise platform.

Eric Boucher, Vice-President Maintenance & Engineering at Aircalin commented: "Airbus has been a key partner as Aircalin enters a new era. The A350-900 will become our new flagship aircraft, operating our long-haul services to Paris. We are delighted to extend our existing FHS partnership with Airbus to support the A350-900 programme."

Anand Stanley, President and Head of Region, Airbus Asia-Pacific stated: "This new agreement builds on the success of our ongoing FHS collaboration with Aircalin across its A320 and A330neo fleets. We look forward to helping the airline maximise the performance and reliability of its future A350-900 operations while maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence." 

Airbus FHS is the global market leader in component support services, measured by the number of aircraft covered under such programmes. The flexible power-by-the-hour model enables airlines to optimise aircraft availability while helping to reduce maintenance and operating costs.

Combining Airbus' engineering expertise, predictive maintenance capabilities, and worldwide logistics network, the FHS programme supports operators in achieving industry-leading levels of fleet reliability, efficiency, and operational performance.