First flight for Air Tahiti Nui to New York

AIR TAHITI NUI LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER NONSTOP SERVICE BETWEEN NEW YORK & SOUTH PACIFIC
Tonight at 11:45 P.M. will be the inaugural flight for Air Tahiti Nui to New York.
The President of French Polynesia Oscar Temaru, the vice-president Jacqui Drollet and many V.I.P. will be on board this inaugural flight. Also on board the famous "Grands Ballets de Tahiti" dance group.
Air tahiti nui goals is to get 300 000 tourists in 2007.
Marketing and advertising will begin soon like information desk located at the Grand central station and at the Time Warner Center in New York.
Air Tahiti Nui selects JFK’s Terminal 4 for flights to Papeete starting July 4th 2005
Air Tahiti Nui – ranked Best Airline for the Pacific in the 2004 Skytrax airline survey – will create a new milestone in travel when it launches historic non-stop service from New York to the South Pacific beginning July 4th, 2005.

Air Tahiti Nui, which maintains a fleet of new Airbus A340-300 aircraft, will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 with nonstop service to Papeete, Tahiti. From Air Tahiti Nui’s home base in Papeete, travelers will have the option of continuing on to Sydney, Australia, via the simple, one stop, same-aircraft service..

“With feeder markets from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and Boston, New York is the gateway for the entire Eastern Seaboard of the U.S., and by eliminating the need for an overnight or connection in Los Angeles, our historic nonstop service will put Tahiti and the South Pacific within reach of same-day travel beyond its traditional West Coast markets,” said Nelson Levy, Chief Operating Officer of Air Tahiti Nui. “This is an important development not only for us but for U.S. travelers in search of practical alternatives to the traditional Caribbean and Hawaiian holidays.”

Air Tahiti Nui, the international flag carrier of French Polynesia, links four continents to the South Pacific including France, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

“JFK Terminal 4 welcomes Air Tahiti Nui to New York,” said Henk Guitjens, chief marketing officer of JFK IAT LLC, which operates Terminal 4. “And we’re confident that Terminal 4 is a great match for Air Tahiti Nui. Not only is it the most modern and efficient terminal in the New York area, but Terminal 4 allows its 50 airline partners to focus on their core business while providing high customer service levels for the passengers. In addition, with the only internal AirTrain station at JFK, Terminal 4 is the most convenient for passengers connecting to other terminals, long-term parking, car rental and hotel accommodations, as well as public transportation to New York City.”

Air Tahiti Nui will serve the route with its modern fleet of exclusive Airbus A340-300 aircraft, uniquely suited for long-haul flights, seating 294 passengers in spacious, comfortable three class configurations, six in first class, 24 in business class and 264 in coach class – never more than two seats across, each featuring an individual video screen – and in what is widely acknowledged to be one of the quietest cabins in the air today. The non-stop flight is approx 12 hours from New York and 12 hours 45 minutes returning from Papeete.