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| 10th anniversary of Air Tahiti Nui - 50th an of the F by TAI |
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TAI
The Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux
airline (TAI – Intercontinental Air Transports),
by withdrawing from Africa gained a foothold
in Asia and the Pacifc according to the
world-partition agreement signed with Air
France. In 1956, it was already operating the
extension of the Paris-Saigon route to Nouméa.
After a reconnaissance fight from Nouméa to
Bora Bora in 1957, TAI operated its frst long-haul
scheduled Paris-Tahiti fight on 02 October 1958.
The stamp shows the Douglas DC6B which landed
50 years ago after its last Nouméa-Bora sector.
In fact, in Tahiti, the huge works for the
international airport had just started, and the
frst portion would only be open two years later.
Until then, travellers who had landed in Bora,
could fy to the roadsteads of Papeete on the
amphibian seaplane of the frst and newly set-up
private airline Air Tahiti.
TAI will directly serve Tahiti on 16 October 1960
with their DC7C, which then continued its route
to Hawaii and Los Angeles.
ATN
Surveys regarding this Tahitian international
airline, whose creation was desired by President
Gaston Flosse, began as early as 1993 under the
name Air Tahiti International.
In 1996, the project was deemed feasible and
was revealed to the public. It actually came true
when, on 7 November 1998, the frst Air Tahiti Nui
Airbus 340-200 landed at Faa’a airport.
The plane was rented from Airbus Industrie, and
was to operate its frst commercial fight to Los
Angeles two weeks later.
But ATN was authorised to serve Paris only after 7
May 2002.
Today the original A340-200 aircraft will
be replaced by several A340-313, and the
destinations have grown more numerous and
diversifed.
J-L SAQUET |
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