Air Tahiti Nui to Lease Second Airbus A-340; Will Launch 3 Times Weekly Tahiti/Los Angeles/Paris Service on September 16.

Business, Travel & Lifestyle Editors

PAPEETE, French Polynesia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2001

The Assembly of French Polynesia has adopted a resolution which authorized Air Tahiti Nui to lease a second Airbus A-340 and launch a 3 times per week service from Papeete to Paris, France via Los Angeles effective September 16, 2001.

The doubling of Air Tahiti Nui's fleet will allow the carrier to provide 6 weekly flights to Papeete from Los Angeles, further strengthening the airline's position as the dominant carrier on the North America to Tahiti route. Air Tahiti Nui currently offers 3 weekly flights, from Los Angeles to Papeete on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and with the acquisition of its second aircraft, will augment this service with additional flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and a second Sunday frequency.

"We are gratified that the Assembly of French Polynesia has demonstrated its confidence in Air Tahiti Nui," said Wally Sumner, Air Tahiti Nui's Vice President-North America. "It is particularly significant that the Assembly granted our carrier a `public service mission' to guarantee air capacity from tourism markets to Tahiti. Our planning to implement service from Los Angeles to Paris is well advanced and we intend to become a very attractive alternative to incumbent carriers on the route," Sumner added.

The expansion to Europe is yet another milestone for the national carrier of French Polynesia which commenced service in November of 1998. The airline currently flies to Japan and New Zealand in addition to its flights to the United States and will further spread its wings to France in September. Additional details about the airline's 3 weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from Los Angeles to Paris and its introductory promotional pricing, will be announced in early August.

"Since its inception, Air Tahiti Nui has been the catalyst for growth for the tourism sector in French Polynesia. With 3 additional flights per week, we will continue to rely heavily on our North American tour operator partners who are such an important factor in generating leisure travelers from and to Tahiti," Sumner pointed out.