The Plane to Bora Bora Is About to Have Only Business Class Seats

Air Tahiti has taken delivery of an ATR 72-600 turboprop with an unusual cabin: 26 seats, all of them business class. A standard ATR 72-600 typically carries around 70 passengers, so the airline has traded more than half its capacity for space, arranging the seats in a one-by-one layout where every traveller has aisle access.

The aircraft is due to begin commercial service on December 8 under the Air Tahiti Signature brand. Its first flights will connect Tahiti with Bora Bora and with Raiatea-Taha’a, two of the most photographed corners of French Polynesia, and the plane will also be used for charter work.

Air Tahiti is not the first operator to try the idea. Malaysia’s Berjaya Air received a similar all-premium ATR HighLine aircraft earlier this year, which makes the Polynesian airline the second carrier to fly the concept. The report on the delivery, dated October 13, did not mention fares, so how much of a premium passengers will pay remains to be seen.

The move fits the logic of short island hops, where travellers heading to resorts often care more about comfort and a quiet cabin than about the cheapest seat. Anyone planning a Polynesian holiday for the new year should watch for the schedule and pricing to appear once the December launch gets closer.

Sources: Air Data News, One Mile at a Time