Air Tahiti Nui (TN, Papeete) and Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) have announced a new commercial partnership that will result non-stop B787-9-operated flights between Seattle Tacoma International and Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
Air Tahiti Nui Managing Director Mathieu Bechonnet said the 2x weekly rotations starting on October 4 would further tourism to French Polynesia from Western Canada.
“Alaska Airlines is the perfect partner for this, and we are looking with great excitement at the new commercial opportunities that lie ahead. This will strongly reinforce the position of Air Tahiti Nui as the leading airline for services to and from Tahiti," he added.
Air Tahiti Nui currently flies daily nonstop between Papeete and Los Angeles International, another key Alaska Airlines hub airport on the US West Coast. The French Polynesian carrier also provides nonstop services between Los Angeles and Paris CDG, France.
The commercial agreement also involves reciprocity of frequent flyer benefits, starting on April 1, 2022.
Air Tahiti Nui operates a fleet of four B787-9s (two owned and two leased from Air Lease Corporation), according to ch-aviation fleets data.
Alaska Airlines and its regional partner carriers serve more than 120 destinations across the US, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico with a fleet of 243 aircraft.
