French Polynesia’s FLY CORALway eyeing A321neo(LR)s

FLY CORALway (Papeete) has changed its fleet plans as it looks towards a postponement of its debut to mid-2022, according to Chief Executive Officer Olivier Moana Bôle.

Speaking on the recent Future Flying Forum hosted by AviaDev and Simple Flying, he said the French Polynesian start-up is still awaiting its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the French Polynesian civil aviation regulator (Service d’État de l’Aviation Civile – SEAC).

He also confirmed earlier reports that the company had changed tack from starting with A220-300s as initially planned due to the unavailability of right-priced aircraft in the market. It is now focused on starting with A320 Family aircraft, and possibly A321-200NX(LR)s at a later stage, he said.

“We’ve been looking at the A319-100 and the A320-200. Now, we are fully focused on the A320 because the lessors still have plenty of these on the ground. The 320 gives us options, and particularly the A320neo because that gives us the range to fly direct from Tahiti to Hawaii and Tahiti to Noumea (New Caledonia). The real need now is to fly regional, to fly from hub to hub, and to connect the different South Pacific communities,” he said.

Once borders reopen and travel recovers, the airline would position itself as an alternative transpacific stopover to Hawaii or Fiji and consider routes to South- and North America. “Giving an option in the South Pacific of flying through Tahiti and connecting through Tahiti… the A321neo(LR) should be an option afterwards to develop a network to long-range destinations. The A321neo(LR) is the perfect aircraft to reach the American borders,” he added.

Fly Coralway had earlier hoped to launch in June 2021 but this was postponed to 4Q21 due to the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions in place in most South Pacific island countries, as well as funding delays.

The carrier, in November 2020, obtained an Air Transport Licence (ATL) to operate scheduled passenger flights from Papeete to the South Pacific island states and territories of Samoa, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna, and New Caledonia.