Air Tahiti

Air Tahiti is a French airline company which operates in French Polynesia, France. Its main hub is Faa'a International Airport.

For the international airline, see Air Tahiti Nui.
Air Tahiti
IATA ICAO Callsign
VT VTA AIR TAHITI
Founded1987
HubsFaa'a International Airport
Fleet size15
Destinations48
HeadquartersTahiti, French Polynesia, France
Key peopleJoël Allain (CEO)
Manate Vivish (General Manager)
Websitehttps://www.airtahiti.com

Company history


Early Seaplane Operations

Far away from continents, Polynesia was late in developing air routes. It was only during the Second World War that aviation took off in earnest with the construction of the first runway in 1943, in Bora Bora, by U.S. forces. In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Americans intended to protect and supply routes between the U.S. coast and the southwest Pacific.

Regular commercial air service between the islands started in 1950 at the initiative of a handful of entrepreneurs who created the company Air Tahiti. The flights were operated by a 7-seater seaplane, a Grumman Widgeon J-4F. With such low capacity, the need for a second aircraft was quickly apparent.

In 1951, the French Ministry for the Overseas purchased on behalf of the Territory a Grumman Mallard amphibian aircraft. Gradually, Air Tahiti spread its wings to all the islands of French Polynesia. On June 25, 1953, the first landing in the Gambier archipelago was achieved. In October 1953, the first flight to the Marquesas islands took place with a sea-landing at Taiohae / Nuku Hiva.

In July 1953, TAI (Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux - International Air Transports)' a commercial exploitation of RAI (Régie Aérienne Interinsulaire – Inter-Island Aviation Board), asserted its rights in the mutual allocation of local transports, under an agreement with Air France.

The Territory withdrew the Mallard licence from Air Tahiti in favour of TAI. The Air Tahiti brand then disappeared. RAI operated for the Department of Public Works and Transport. It acquired two Consolidated PBY Catalina seaplanes to expand links between the islands of French Polynesia. These aircraft with orange livery received a F-OA registration restricted to aircraft operated overseas.

Gradually, the network continued to expand. In 1955, the Austral archipelagos inaugurated seaplane service with the opening of routes to Tubuai and Raivavae. In 1958, the "Régie" became "Réseau" (Inter-Island Aviation Network) with Réseau Aérien Interinsulaire (RAI) operating Douglas DC-4 propliners and Short Sandringham "Bermuda" flying boats during the early 1960s.[1]

The development of runways

Although seaplanes would seem appropriate to the insular context, it is difficult to find suitable large bodies of water, unhindered and protected from sea swell. Therefore, it became necessary to quickly develop runways and airstrips.

With the opening of the Tahiti Faa'a International Airport in Papeete in 1960, Tahiti could host international commercial jetliner flights. Thereafter, a vast construction program of runways was launched by the French Government over the whole of French Polynesia. As a result, four runways were built in the 1960s and 27 in the following decade.

Air Polynesia

In 1970, RAI became Air Polynesia, a subsidiary of UTA that was also known as Air Polynésie.[2] Nicknamed "Air Po" by Polynesians, the company asserted more of its Polynesian identity and implemented regular services throughout French Polynesia and especially to the more remote islands. The airline operated Douglas DC-4 propliners, Short Sandringham "Bermuda" flying boats and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops before introducing Fairchild F-27 and Fokker F27 turboprops.[3]

Air Tahiti

In 1986, the former UTA (by then absorbed by Air France) sold Air Polynesia shares to local investors. The reformed Air Tahiti, wanting to modernize, in 1987 acquired its first ATR 42 regional turboprop aircraft, marking the beginning of a long collaboration with the aircraft manufacturer ATR.

Destinations

Air Tahiti covers a network of 47 islands in French Polynesia and Cook Islands.

Society Islands

Tuamotu Archipelago

East Tuamotu-Gambier archipelago

Marquesas archipelago

Austral archipelago

Marquesas archipelago

Air Tahiti ATR 42-500 at Rarotonga International Airport (2012)

Tuamotu archipelago

International destinations

Cook Islands

Fleet
Air Tahiti ATR 72 F-OIQR at Bora Bora Airport

As of September 2018, the Air Tahiti fleet consists of:[4]

Air Tahiti fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers
(Economy)
ATR 42-600 2 (as of August 2019)[5] 48
ATR 72-600 8 (as of August 2019)[5] 78
Beechcraft King Air B200 3 8
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter (DHC-6-300) 2 19
Total 15

Accidents

On April 18, 1991, Air Tahiti flight 805 was on approach to Nuku Hiva Airport, when the aircraft, a Dornier 228, suffered an engine failure and attempted to ditch near the coast. 10 of the 20 passengers in the aircraft were killed.[6]

References
  1. http://www.timetableimages.com, April 1, 1963 Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux (TAI) system timetable, RAI flight schedules
  2. http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 30, 1970 Air Polynesie system timetable
  3. http://www.timetableimages.com, Air Polynesie system timetables
  4. https://www.airtahiti.com/fleet
  5. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 14.
  6. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19910418-0
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