FOCUS ON Aircalin The local touch
At a time when brand is king and business back-stories are taking centre stage, Aircalin’s cabin redesign would seem to be bang on trend. Julie Baxter reports
F
rench-owned, Aircalin is the international airline of New Caledonia – a French territory in the
South Pacific idyllically located between Australia and New Zealand. It is a place of sun, sea and endless blue
sky horizons and when its new cabin retrofit took to the skies, the designers' inspiration was clear. The airline aimed to define itself through 'local touch' initiatives reflecting its roots, so the retrofit introduced images of the Heart in Voh (a unique heart-shaped island in the group) into the aircraft, added traditional bougna dishes to the inflight menus and included local produce for sale through the inflight shop. The aim of the retrofit was to give the cabins a real New Caledonian feel through the colours, patterns, fabrics and atmosphere evoked in the designs. In Economy the designers focused on the destination’s lagoon as seen from underwater, so navy blue and turquoise shades feature in the seats and carpeting, blended with the rich red earth tint of the curtains and headrest covers. The seat cover fabric was inspired by the 'yellow brain' coral, familiar to scuba divers, and as the bulk of travellers in this cabin
are holidaymakers, vibrant colours were used to bring a relaxed mood to the cabin. For Business passengers, the designers again took inspiration from the lagoon for Hibiscus Class but this time, the lagoon as seen from above. Like the waters of the lagoon,
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myriad shades of blues illuminate the curtains, headrests, carpeting. Here the seat covers were inspired by
traditional weaving techniques with four distinct shades of blue blended in the weave; while murals, placed facing the seats and at the rear of the cabin, feature a unique stylised representation of the column pines which border the lagoon. They are rendered in cool shades of grey to create a 'window' onto authentic New Caledonian scenery. The new uniform design matches the cabin and Kristel Saussey, assistant inflight services manager, said: “We wanted to include all the elements of New Caledonia into the new look so the designers drew on all the elements that most strike you when you are in the destination – the sky, the
Pictured: Cabin colours and crew uniforms designed to reflect the New Caledonian landscapes
pine trees and the ocean. It has made for a very fresh and attractive cabin style which has been well received. We wanted to show we are proud of our roots and reflect the culture and distinct style of the islands.” The retrofit also involved the addition of
larger, lie-flat seats in a new configuration, a new entertainment system, new amenity kits and an upgrade to the inflight service. It has drawn on both its indigenous culture and French heritage and even now reflects the diversity and indigenous Kanak population in the animated safety video.
Profile
Founded in 1983 Aircalin operates flights to the Pacific Region. With a fleet of Airbus A330-200 and A320 aircraft it serves 10 international destinations and uses 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft to connect local islands. It plays a key role in developing tourism, vital for the local economy.
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