You Say: OUR TAHITI LINK
Why to us it’s more than just an another airline flight

By Ewan Smith,
Managing Director
Air Rarotonga Limited

Air Tahiti ATR-72 aircraft

Prime Minister, Ministers, officials and to our industry partners and Air Rarotonga staff here today – a special and very warm kia orana. Also a special welcome to the consular representative of the Republic of France.
Thanks for joining us to mark a milestone in our company’s history, and the start of what we believe will be a new and very exciting chapter in our commercial journey.
Several months ago, Air New Zealand announced that it would be withdrawing its flights between Rarotonga and Tahiti as part of a rationalisation of long-haul routes.
As they say, one man’s dilemma may be another’s opportunity and this announcement prompted us to think of ways in which we could lead the development of what we consider to be an important regional link.
It is fascinating that just 600 miles away, Tahiti has nearly twenty times the population of the Cook Islands and close cultural and family ties. It is only 400 miles from Aitutaki to Bora Bora, and 200 from Mangaia to the Austral Islands.
TOURISM
French Polynesia also has 10 times the tourism infrastructure of the Cook Islands.
Even though our economies are structured quite differently, it must be that there is significant unrealised potential for social and cultural interaction, and trade.
Not to mention visitors from the USA and Europe who have for many years have demonstrated a preference for including both our countries in their travel plans.
It has been our ideal for many years now that one day such intra-regional routes would become part of the networks operated by our island nations’ domestic airlines once we have acquired the scale of equipment and the commercial infrastructure to service them.
That day has arrived.
For the past eight weeks our staff have been commuting to and from Tahiti forging an important commercial relationship with Air Tahiti, the domestic airline of French Polynesia.
JOINED
Our two companies have agreed to join forces to develop airline services between the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.
Commencing 3rd of April, coinciding with Air New Zealand’s withdrawal from the route, Air Rarotonga in partnership with Air Tahiti will launch code shared service initially twice per week utilising an ATR 72 aircraft of Air Tahiti.
We believe this will be just the beginning of an important new phase in regional air service and will invigorate social and business relationships between our countries.
Over the past three years Air Rarotonga has made a major investment in information technology and now has a state-of-the art internet based airline reservations system.
A few moments ago, at the click of a mouse button, our reservations system went live with our new Rarotonga – Tahiti service.
INTERNET
As of this moment, a client or a travel agent in Europe or the USA or anywhere there is internet access, can book and pay for their flights and receive instantaneous confirmation.
We took the liberty of making the very first reservation to Tahiti on the 3rd of April for the Prime Minister and I am going to ask him to step forward and receive the itinerary with his travel details.
Of course he can make changes to this itinerary and we’ll waive the change fees on this occasion.
In conclusion may I extend our appreciation to the transport ministers and officials of both governments for their speedy consideration and approval of formalities, and to our staff in Air Rarotonga who have brought this project this far.
And to our industry partners, thank you in anticipation of your future support.
Thank you!

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