On February 20, Air Tahiti Nui held a press conference to announce the resumption of its Narita-Tahiti route in October and its 25th anniversary.
The company’s Japan route was originally scheduled to resume in November, following the relaxation of entry restrictions in Tahiti in May 2022, but this was postponed until February 2023. The company decided to postpone it again due to factors in Tahiti and abroad, and decided to make flight TN88 from Tahiti on October 30 the first flight to resume service (operated twice a week).
President & Managing Director Mathieu Bechonnet, who has not been to Japan in three years, reflected on the three years of the Corona disaster and said, “The US border will open in March 2021 and the New Zealand border in June, from which strong demand is expected. We are going to Tahiti. We have 50% of the airline seats into Tahiti, and in 2022 we were able to achieve 90% capacity. We believe this figure is very high due to the Corona disaster. However, only Japanese Narita flights have not resumed,” he said.
Some hotels in French Polynesia are still closed, and because demand from Europe and the United States is increasing while the number of hotel rooms is decreasing, there is also a shortage of human resources, and there is a shortage of people to create overseas travel products.
Mr. Beshone said, “Tahiti has had a headwind during the three years of the Corona disaster, but the signs are bright for the future. Last year, hotels were full every day, and new hotel development plans have begun. The government is making efforts to increase the number of rooms, but we are trying to provide high-end services so that we do not become like a mass market,” he explained.
Mr. Jun Chino, General Manager of Japan Regional Office, Japan/Asia Region, also commented on the postponement of the resumption of flights to October, pointing out that the number of Japanese traveling abroad (departures) in January 2023 was approximately 400,000, only 30% of the 2019 figure, and that the current situation, where overseas travel has not yet reached full momentum for resumption, suggests that the resumption of flights in October may be just right. He also noted that the number of Japanese outbound travelers in January 2023 was only about 400,000, about 30% of the total in 2019.
More to the point, local hotels are still having difficulty getting last-minute reservations due to increased demand from Western visitors, so the six-month time window from here is meaningful for Japanese travelers to make their plans with a little more time to spare.
In addition, restrictions related to the new corona have been largely eliminated locally, and there is no requirement to wear masks (including on the company’s aircraft). Surveillance continues at airports and hospitals, but there has been no increase in the number of infected people or deaths.
Regarding the Boeing 787-9 aircraft and its cabin, which began to be introduced in 2018, Mr. Béthonnet said, “We offer services that fit the image of Tahiti as a high-level destination. In terms of details, we offer services that make you feel like you are in Tahiti from the moment you step on the plane, such as using Tahitian words in the in-flight broadcast and wearing Tahitian costumes for meal service, and we place importance on ‘making it Tahiti,'” he introduced.
© Source travel watch