Air Tahiti takes delivery of A340s, consolidating Airbus fleet

Air Tahiti Nui has taken delivery of two firmly ordered A340-300s, as part of a fleet modernisation and expansion that will see it operate four of them.

The aircraft will join the A340s already in service with Air Tahiti Nui on flights to Japan and the US West coast, as well as on one-stop flights to Europe and regional routes to New Zealand.

"We fly mainly long-haul routes from our base in the middle of the Pacific, and the tremendous flexibility and reliability of the four-engined A340, together with its excellent economy on shorter routes, make it by far the best aircraft for our services," says Air Tahiti Nui Chairman & CEO Nelson Levy.

Air Tahiti Nui first became an Airbus operator in 1998, when it began flying a leased A340-200 on services to Japan and the US West coast. It has since added two A340-300s – one leased and one purchased – allowing it to increase frequencies on existing routes, as well as to introduce service to Paris via Los Angeles.

Following the delivery of its two new aircraft, the A340-200 will be returned to its lessor, leaving Air Tahiti Nui with a standardised fleet of four A340-300s – three owned and one leased - each powered by CFM International CFM56-5C4s.

"Tahiti's main income is from tourism. The expansion of its fleet is crucial to managing and growing its economy, so we are delighted that Air Tahiti Nui has chosen our aircraft for this important role," says Airbus President & CEO Noël Forgeard.

The A330/A340 family are the most modern aircraft in the 250-375 seat class, consistently winning independent passenger surveys. The market-leaders for more than a decade, they have the most orders and customers to their credit.

Customers for the modern A330/A340 family benefit from their unmatched passenger appeal, economy and flexibility on demanding routes, as well as from valuable savings in operation through commonality.

Air Tahiti Nui is the long-haul international airline of French Polynesia, with the "Nui" part of its name meaning "great."

Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.

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