Air Tahiti Nui Resumes Flights To New Zealand Following Pandemic

Simple Flying

By Luke Bodell

Published May 6, 2022

The carrier returned to New Zealand on May 4th and will start with weekly flights before a thrice-weekly summer schedule.

Photo: Air Tahiti Nui

After a two-year hiatus, Air Tahiti Nui has resumed its service to Auckland, New Zealand. The carrier relaunched flights on May 4th as part of a weekly service which will extend to three weekly flights during the summer.

Air Tahiti Nui returns to NZ

Auckland International Airport caught sight of its first Air Tahiti Nui aircraft in almost two years after the South Pacific carrier returned to the airport this week.

On May 4th, Flight TN181 departed from Papeete, Tahiti at 09:30 local time and touched down in Auckland just over five hours later. This was the first Air Tahiti Nui flight to New Zealand since June 2020.

Air Tahiti Nui General Manager Pacific, Daniel Eggenberger, said,

"The airlines' first post-pandemic flight included a mix of re-booked passengers from the past two years and new travelers eager for a tropical getaway to Tahiti. 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 travelers re-instate pre-pandemic cruise, resort, and tour bookings."

Flights are available weekly until July 3rd, when the airline will increase its service to three weekly flights until August 9th.

Air Tahiti Nui hasn't flown to New Zealand since June 2020. Photo: Air Tahiti Nui

New Zealand reopened its borders to tourists on May 1st as part of a five-phase plan. In the current phase, visitors from around 60 visa-waiver countries are permitted entry provided they are fully vaccinated.

Eggenberger added,

"We have been going at 100% 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."

Connecting Auckland with Los Angeles

Air Tahiti Nui's Papeete-Auckland service connects with its flights between Tahiti and Los Angeles, offering travelers the option of a beach-break stopover in French Polynesia.

The carrier has launched limited-time airfares for flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco ahead of the busy summer season.

Between May 4th-June 30th, September 1st-December 15th and January 7th-March 31st (2023), travelers can purchase all-inclusive round-trips starting at $798. Between July 1st-August 30th, the same fare is available for $998. This offer will be valid for bookings made until June 7th.

Eggenberger said,

"We are holding our pre-COVID pricing for as long as we can to enable as many travelers as possible the opportunity to reconnect with some of their favorite destinations."

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Served by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Air Tahiti Nui will deploy its small Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet on this route. The airline's fleet consists of four 'Tahitian Dreamliners' offering 294 seats in a three-class configuration - 30 in Poerava Business, 32 in Moana Premium and 232 in Moana Economy.

Air Tahiti Nui has four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The carrier's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet is young, with an average age of just over three years. It took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 in October 2018 before receiving three more during 2019.

Have you flown with Air Tahiti Nui before? Are you happy to see the airline return to New Zealand? Let us know in the comments.