Air Tahiti Nui takes delivery of their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Air Tahiti Nui has taken delivery of their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner during a delivery ceremony held at Boeing’s South Carolina 787 facility.

The aircraft, registered F-OMUA, is the first of two leased from Air Lease Corp, with the other two directly ordered from Boeing. Air Tahiti Nui intends to use the aircraft to replace the aging Airbus A340-300s in their fleet.

Each aircraft is configured with 294 seats, consisting of 30 in business, 32 in premium economy and 232 in economy. Destinations include Auckland, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo.

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Air Tahiti Nui, Michel Monvoisin, reflected on the delivery of their first Boeing aircraft in the following statement:

“Our dream has finally become a reality with the arrival of Air Tahiti Nui’s first 787-9 Dreamliner. The Tahitian Dreamliner will make flying to one of the world’s treasures an unforgettable experience, as we introduce new seats and a culturally inspired cabin on the 787. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, the 787 Dreamliner will guide us towards another successful 20 years and beyond.”

The second aircraft is set to be delivered in December of this year, with the final two expected during the early half of 2019. General Electric GEnx engines have been selected to power the fleet.

Air Tahiti Nui has compiled a special naming/registration theme for their aircraft, which you can see here:

As seen on the Air Tahiti Nui website, the three letters at the end of each registration represent something much bigger:

MUA, (forward), NUI (big), VAA (canoe), TOA (warrior). Woven together our fleet names have a hidden meaning: The warrior (TOA) going forward (MUA) in the great (NUI) canoe (VAA).