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Aviationtag X Air Tahiti Nui
Maeva !
French Polynesian airline Air Tahiti Nui is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its maiden flight this year, which we are marking with a joint Aviationtag edition crafted from the F-OJTN. The Aviationtag X Air Tahiti Nui series was upcycled from the former Airbus A340-300 sporting manufacturer serial number (MSN) 395.
Originally ordered by Sabena, the A340 was completed in 2001 with the registration OO-SBQ. The liquidation of Sabena meant it did not take delivery of the Airbus though, so it was leased to the Canadian charter carrier Canada 3000 instead, which then also ceased operations, however.
In January 2002, Air Tahiti Nui took ownership of the MSN 395, christening it “Bora Bora” and giving it its ultimate registration. The F-OJTN then took to the skies for 16 years, connecting the carrier’s hub, Faa’a International Airport (also known as Tahiti International Airport), with the world.
The flag carrier of French Polynesia was founded in 1996, its first flight taking place on 20 November 1998. It was the first long-haul international airline based in French Polynesia, established to develop tourism. The Government of French Polynesia is the majority shareholder of Air Tahiti Nui, along with other local investors.
In 2018, the F-OJTN was retired after 65.084 flight hours, and parked in the US, where it was eventually scrapped in 2021 – the opportunity for us to acquire some parts of the “Bora Bora” and upcycle them for the Aviationtag X Air Tahiti Nui Edition.
In 2019, Air Tahiti Nui completely revamped its fleet, replacing its Airbus A340 planes with what are now four Boeing 787-900 aircraft, each with 294 seats. The carrier flies to Paris, Los Angeles, Seattle, Auckland and Tokyo, to name just a few destinations.
In 2023 the Polynesian airliner was rated “5 STAR MAJOR AIRLINE” in the APEX Official Airline Ratings rankings for the fifth consecutive year.
The MSN 395 was still painted in the original livery design from before the 2018 redesign.
Throughout its history, Air Tahiti Nui’s famed and unusual livery has encompassed various shades of blue, representing the ocean, lagoon and sky of Tahiti for the upper half of the plane, optically extending the length of the fuselage.
The flag of French Polynesia graces the front of the plane behind the cockpit windows, with the aircraft’s name written below. The flag is also incorporated into the livery design, with red and white stripes running the length of the fuselage under the blue paint.
The most important element is no doubt the unique Tiare flower on the plane’s tail fin and on the Aviationtags, with circular waves of alternating lighter and darker shades of blue emanating from the flower, reminiscent of water ripples.
“Bora Bora” is now writing the next chapter in its story as an Aviationtag.
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