Air Tahiti Nui check-in counters at Auckland International Airport sprung back into life as the airline welcomed passengers back on board after a two-year hiatus late last week.
"The airlines' first post- pandemic flight included a mix of re-booked passengers from the past two years and new travellers eager for a tropical getaway to Tahiti,” says Air Tahiti Nui general manager Pacific Daniel Eggenberger.
"While the inbound flights are already especially heavily booked, outbound flights are picking up quickly. We expect this to increase in the coming weeks, especially as travellers re-instate pre-pandemic cruise, resort, and tour bookings."
Air Tahiti Nui has re-entered the passenger market with highly competitive airfares, especially on its connecting Papeete – Los Angeles route.
"We are holding our pre covid pricing for as long as we can to enable as many travellers as possible the opportunity to reconnect with some of their favourite destinations,” says Daniel.
The earlier re-opening of the international border for travel ex-New Zealand has been welcomed by the airline, which has been working tirelessly since the announcement to up weight the operational side of the business and reconnect with passengers.
"We have been going at 100 per cent resource capacity to make this happen and are delighted to be able to offer these services two months earlier than advised under the government's initial border opening plan," says Daniel.
Initially, Air Tahiti Nui will offer a weekly flight, extending to three flights a week during the high season from July 3 to August 9, with seasonal adjustments after that.
The current schedules present travellers with an attractive stopover opportunity or short connection time for beyond Tahiti services to Los Angeles and Paris.
