Air Tahiti Nui (ATN), the major carrier of French Polynesia, has decided to order four Boeing 787-9 aircraft to replace its fleet of Airbus A340-300s.
Boeing and the airline intend to formalize the order soon, and deliveries of the 787s are due to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018. Two will be owned by ATN and the other two will be leased. The engine choice has not yet been determined.
ATN currently operates five Airbus A340s, with four used in scheduled long-haul service and one mainly for charters, the carrier told ATW. The four 787s will only be used to meet the scheduled network requirements. The airline’s A340s are a mix of leased and owned aircraft.
While ATN is still working on the configuration of the 787s, the carrier says they are “broadly similar in size” to the A340s, with the 787s offering about 4% more seat capacity.
The Tahitian carrier was launched in 1998, and currently operates routes to Auckland, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles. It offers flights from New Zealand to Paris, via Tahiti and Los Angeles. ATN serves Australian destinations via a codeshare with Qantas, connecting in Auckland.
(Adrian Schofield - ATWOnline News)
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