From Toulouse to Papeete: The incredible journey to get a new ATR 72 to Air Tahiti
On the 12th of June, 2025, French aircraft manufacturer ATR waved goodbye to its latest aircraft. The ATR 72-600, complete with special livery, was headed to a loyal customer, Air…
On the 12th of June, 2025, French aircraft manufacturer ATR waved goodbye to its latest aircraft. The ATR 72-600, complete with special livery, was headed to a loyal customer, Air Tahiti.
But taking an aircraft with an operational range of around 900 nautical miles from France to Tahiti isn’t easy. Some 10,000 miles (8,700 nmi) separate Toulouse and Papeete, so this was going to be a very long flight.
The Air Tahiti ATR flew for a week
After departing ATR’s home in Toulouse, the aircraft flew southwest to Cairo where it landed just over six hours later. After a few hours on the ground, it took off and headed to Muscat, another six-hour leg.
From Muscat, it crossed to Hyderabad in India late on 13 June, and then on 14 June, it hopped across to Kuala Lumpur’s second airport at Subang (SBZ). It remained in Malaysia for 24 hours for the crew to rest, then took off again on 16 June, landing almost five hours later in Denpasar.
From here, the little ATR flew for just short of seven long hours all the way down to Cairns in Australia, landing in the early hours of 17 June. That evening, it headed out to Nadi (NAN), one of the longest legs on this trip, where it stayed overnight.
Finally, on 18 June, a full week after leaving Toulouse, Air Tahiti’s ATR landed in French Polynesia at Papeete (PPT).
Some of these legs were incredibly long, the longest being NAN-PPT at 2,163 miles (1,880 nmi). The whole week-long trip covered over 12,500 nmi.
ATR opted to forgo additional fuel tanks for the ferry flight, something other regional aircraft operators have been known to do. Instead, they relied on the absence of payload giving the ATR 72 enough range to make each leg.
Welcome to Tahiti, Teraiefa
This particular ATR is christened TERAIEFA and carries tail number F-OPFN. A week after arrival in Papeete, on 25 June, the aircraft transferred to its new home in Rangiora (RGI) with a flight less than an hour long.
On arrival in Rangiroa, it received a traditional blessing ceremony. Its name, TERAIEFA, meaning “the skies that appear or are born” in the Paumotu dialect, reflects the airline’s deep connection to the local heritage and communities it serves.
Newest @ATRaircraft 72-600 for #AirTahiti during her first test flight this afternoon at #Toulouse with a special livery !!#TERAIEFA #FOPFN #ATR72 #ATR72600 #AirTahiti #Avgeeks #Avgeek Replay #EVX01ES on @AirNavRadar pic.twitter.com/p3URuX5l6H
— Clément Alloing (@CAlloing) May 30, 2025
The aircraft features a striking livery inspired by the rich tattoo traditions of the Tuamotu archipelago. Notable motifs include a checkerboard pattern symbolising the sacred marae and the ocean, stylised human figures representing the balance between humanity and nature, and symbols of the sun and birds reflecting the skies that Air Tahiti traverses.
These design choices were made in collaboration with local artists and cultural leaders, reinforcing the airline’s mission to celebrate and preserve Polynesian identity. ATR tells AGN that each of Air Tahiti’s new aircraft will receive a different livery representing the various archipelagos of French Polynesia.
The Air Tahiti ATR fleet
Air Tahiti ordered four more ATR-72-600s in mid-2024, with deliveries expected between 2025 and 2028. This is the first of that new batch of aircraft to be delivered to the carrier.
That takes Air Tahiti’s fleet to 13 aircraft – 10 ATR 72, two ATR 42 and a single DHC-6 Twin Otter.
At least one of Air Tahiti’s new ATR 72s will be outfitted with an all-business class interior, using ATR’s new ‘HighLine’ cabin. At the Paris Air Show, ATR said this aircraft would be arriving in late 2026.
