Air Tahiti Nui Suspends Loss-Making Seattle Flights

Air Tahiti Nui is suspending its Seattle flights in late January 2026 after consistently failing to turn a profit on the route. As reported by Aero Routes, the airline has closed bookings from February 1, 2026, with the last flights operating on January 28. The airline's board approved the suspension at a September 18 board meeting. 

Air Tahiti Nui began flying between Papeete (PPT) and Seattle (SEA) in October 2022 and now operates twice-weekly B787-9 round-trips on the route. In 2022, the airline set up a code-share partnership with Alaska Airlines to allow Air Tahiti Nui passengers to travel via Seattle to around 100 North American cities.

Conversely, Air Tahiti Nui had hoped to tap into Alaskan’s traffic flows into its Seattle hub and funnel a portion of that traffic down to French Polynesia. Air Tahiti Nui is the only carrier on the Papeete – Seattle route and the only airline flying between French Polynesia and the US Pacific Northwest.

According to research from online travel marketplace KOALA,  French Polynesia remains on the travel bucket list for many North Americans, and Air Tahiti Nui had high hopes of establishing a lucrative beach-head in Seattle. However, the distance and cost of travelling to French Polynesia means bucket list dreaming rarely translates into firm bookings. Air Tahiti Nui does not release passenger load data, but an analysis commissioned by the French Polynesian Government recently revealed that Air Tahiti Nui was losing money on the route and recommended its axing.

Aero South Pacific has contacted Air Tahiti Nui about the reasons for suspending its Papeete – Seattle flights. 

Management consulting company Arthur D. Little handed its analysis and recommendations over to the government in July. This followed the government asking it about ways to overhaul the state-owned airline.

Air Tahiti Nui flies to Auckland (AKL), Tokyo Narita (NRT), Los Angeles (LAX), and Paris (CDG). However, only the airline only makes money on the Papeete – Los Angeles city pair. The consulting company acknowledged the strategic importance of maintaining flights to Paris (which operate via Los Angeles) and said Auckland had potential. However, it highlighted the Tokyo and Seattle routes as financial black holes.

Air Tahiti Nui lost XPF2.8 billion (USD27.3 million) in 2024 and the Seattle route lost XPF1.68 billion (USD16.4 million) in the same year – or around 60% of the carrier’s overall losses in 2024.

Aero Routes notes Air Tahiti Nui initially cancelled its Seattle flights for a three-month period (effective February 1) on September 21, but then closed bookings for all future Seattle flights the following day. The airline has not publicised the suspension but has confirmed it to local outlets.

Meanwhile, bookings for Air Tahiti Nui’s twice-weekly Tokyo flights remain open.

Photo: Boeing.