An ATR 72-600 in Air Tahiti livery.
Air Tahiti sealed a deal with ATR Wednesday, giving the turboprop manufacturer its first order at the airshow.
The Papeete-based airline signed an order for four ATR 72-600s along with an eight-year maintenance agreement. The first deliveries are scheduled for between 2025 and 2028.
“By ensuring our communities have easy access to essential goods, services, and cultural experiences, we’ve also helped boost the local economy and tourism,” Air Tahiti CEO Edouard Wong Fat said. “The ATR fleet has been pivotal in these efforts, and it will continue to enable us to offer reliable and responsible connectivity.”
Air Tahiti currently operates a fleet of 11 turboprops, comprising nine ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s. The carrier said the introduction of the four new aircraft will enable it to increase flight frequencies and add capacity on key routes.
Based at Faa’a International Airport in Papeete, Air Tahiti acquired its first ATRs in January 1987. Its route map includes 48 domestic destinations and one international flight to the Cook Islands. The network connects more than 90% of the inhabited islands of French Polynesia, consisting of five archipelagos in the south-central Pacific Ocean.
Air Tahiti Nui, the long-haul international airline that connects with Air Tahiti, operates four Boeing 787s from Papeete to France, Japan, New Zealand and the US.
ATR has two ATR 72-600s on display at Farnborough, including one belonging to Stockholm-based Braathens Regional Airlines that forms part of the static display.
The agreement with Air Tahiti came after the manufacturer signed an LoI with Ethiopian MRO aimed at developing the company’s ATR aircraft maintenance and training capabilities.
The cooperation covers expanding maintenance capabilities for ATR aircraft and establishing a local spares stock to reduce response times for ATR operators in the region. It will also explore joint initiatives to train new ATR pilots through the Ethiopian pilot academy.
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