Aircalin’s first A350-900 spotted in Toulouse, fresh out the paint shop

Aircalin’s first Airbus A350-900, has been spotted for the first time in Toulouse, France, fresh out of the paint shop in its iconic colorful livery. 

This is the first of two A350-900s that Aircalin, the carrier of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, has on order from Airbus. The European aircraft manufacturer disclosed the order in December 2024, although it had already been logged in the order book as coming from an undisclosed customer.  

The announcement was made to coincide with the launch of Aircalin’s service linking Noumea (NOU) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) via Bangkok (BKK) on December 11, 2024. 

This long-haul service, which is operated by Airbus A330-900neo aircraft and ensures the regular nonstop link between New Caledonia and mainland France, will be the main employment of Aircalin’s new A350s.  

This first A350-900 is expected to be delivered to Aircalin towards the end of 2026, with the second one following in 2027 or 2028. 

With the arrival of the A350-900s, Aircalin will double its long-haul capacity and may prompt the carrier to explore the launch of other long-haul routes.  

As of August 2026, Aircalin’s fleet consists of two A330-900neo aircraft, as well as two A320neos for flights within the South Pacific region. 

Aircalin’s A350-900s will be fitted with a three-class cabin featuring 325 seats (32 in business class, which Aircalin calls “Hibiscus”, 24 in Premium Economy with the remaining 269 in Economy class).

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