Air Tahiti: A Guide to Flights Between the Islands of French Polynesia

The Link That Holds Polynesia Together

For many communities in the Tuamotu, Marquesas, Austral and Gambier archipelagos, Air Tahiti is the only regular link with Papeete apart from the ship, with a public service role that goes far beyond tourism.

Turboprops for Every Kind of Runway

The fleet, made up of about ten aircraft, is based on ATR 72-600s for main routes such as Bora Bora and Moorea, and on ATR 42s or even smaller aircraft for the shorter, less regular runways of the Tuamotu atolls.

From the Tuamotu Atolls to the Marquesas

From the Papeete hub the network radiates toward Bora Bora and Moorea with near-daily frequencies, while the most remote archipelagos such as the Marquesas, the Australs and the Gambier are often served only weekly.

The Multi-Island Pass Almost Always Pays Off

For tourists visiting more than two islands, the Air Tahiti Explore Pass bundles several inter-island legs at an overall price almost always lower than buying the individual tickets separately.

What Residents and Tourists Say

• Strengths: the only practical and fast way to reach remote atolls that would otherwise be days away by ship.
• Weaknesses: frequent cancellations and delays on remote routes due to sudden tropical weather, and reduced baggage capacity on the smallest turboprops.

It is the natural choice for the tourist planning a multi-island itinerary in Polynesia with the dedicated pass; it is less suitable for those traveling with bulky luggage, dive gear included, on routes served by the smallest aircraft, where the permitted weight is reduced. A practical tip: buy the Air Tahiti Explore Pass before departure if you are visiting more than two islands, because the combined price of inter-island tickets bought separately is almost always higher.