Before joining in Tahiti, the aircraft underwent eight months of extensive work at Zimex in Switzerland to bring it as close as possible to the configuration of the two existing Twin Otters. These types work very well.
Air Tetiaroa, a French Polynesian operator founded in 2013, originally to provide the air service between Tahiti and the atoll of Tetiaroa as part of the development of The Brando resort, has once again selected the Twin Otter to carry out its missions.
Since 2021, the business has developed a second activity: on-demand flights throughout French Polynesia. Today, it flies for private clients as well as companies, groups and public institutions. The arrival of a third Twin Otter is intended to support the growth of this activity.
Marketing director Céleste Alvarez explains: “We chose to remain with the DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, as our two existing aircraft are the same model. It is particularly well suited to our operating environment: robust, versatile and capable of operating on the short runways found on many Polynesian islands. Having three aircraft of the same type also allows us to maintain a homogeneous fleet and simplifies operations, maintenance and crew training.
“Our new aircraft, F-ONCA, will become part of Air Tetiaroa’s own fleet. It can be used both for our Tetiaroa operations and for on-demand flights. Most importantly, this additional aircraft will give us greater capacity and flexibility to respond to more charter requests.
“The missions we operate are very diverse, from private transfers to tourism destinations such as Bora Bora to group and corporate travel, as well as administrative tours to remote islands. This is particularly relevant in the Tuamotu archipelago, where on-demand flights can complement scheduled commercial services.”
Before joining in Tahiti, the aircraft underwent eight months of extensive work at Zimex Aviation in Switzerland to bring it as close as possible to the configuration of the two existing Twin Otters. This included upgraded Garmin avionics and the installation of an autopilot, replacement wings, overhauled engines, propellers and landing gear, extensive anti-corrosion work and a completely refurbished cabin. It is also the first aircraft to feature Air Tetiaroa’s new livery.
The ferry flight to Tahiti was itself quite a journey. F-ONCA travelled more than 18,000 km from Switzerland to French Polynesia, representing more than 60 flight hours, with stops in Iceland, Canada, US, Hawaii and Kiribati. For the longest sectors, temporary additional fuel tanks were installed in the cabin, including for the flight from the continental US to Hawaii, which represents more than 12 hours over the Pacific.
Alvarez goes on: “The arrival of this third aircraft marks an important step in Air Tetiaroa’s development. Our focus for the coming months is to continue growing our on-demand activity while maintaining what makes our operation distinctive: a human-scale organisation, aircraft particularly suited to French Polynesia and a high degree of operational flexibility.”
F-ONCA hasn now arrived in Tahiti.
