Air Tahiti (VT, Papeete) placed a tentative order with ATR - Avions de Transport Régional for two ATR42-600s with Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capabilities during the ongoing 2019 Paris Air Show at Paris Le Bourget.
However, the new variant of the type is not yet in production and has yet to be approved by ATR's Board of Directors, expected by the end of 2019. Subsequently, the order could be firmed.
According to the Franco-Italian manufacturer, the STOL-capable ATR42 will require a runway of just 800 metres in length to operate. As such, the French Polynesian airline intends to deploy the type on routes that interconnect the Marquesas Islands. There, their STOL capabilities will allow for an increase in the number of passengers carried to certain destinations in the archipelago, such as Ua Pou Marquesas or Ua Huka, which are currently served only by smaller aircraft.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Air Tahiti currently deploys DHC-6-300s, operated by subsidiary Air Archipels (RHL, Papeete), to the islands.
At present, Air Tahiti is primarily an ATR operator with two ATR42-600s and eight ATR72-600s. Its Air Archipels subsidiary operates the two Twin Otters and three Beech (twin turboprop) King Air B200s.
