Air Tahiti Nui to suspend flights from Tahiti

1:47 pm on 22 March 2020

Air Tahiti Nui has announced that in a week it will suspend all flights from and to French Polynesia for a month because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

There are 15 Covid-19 cases in French Polynesia.

This will effectively end air links out of Tahiti after both Air France and French Bee said they were suspending their flights.

Air Tahiti Nui will end services to Japan this weekend.

This Monday's flight from Papeete to Auckland has been cancelled but a flight from Auckland will go ahead on Thursday.

On 28 March the link to Paris will also be suspended.

Air Tahiti Nui says it will remain at the disposal of the authorities for urgent missions.

Meanwhile, both Air New Zealand and United Airlines have confirmed the dates of their last flights to French Polynesia.

Air New Zealand will fly from Auckland to Tahiti on Monday New Zealand time, with a return trip to Auckland later in the day.

Priority on the Tahiti flight is to be given to French Polynesian permanent residents holding a French passport.

United Airlines is scheduled to have its last flight from Tahiti to San Francisco on 26 March.

Domestic flights within French Polynesia will stop on Sunday night local time.