Air Tahiti Nui trials the world's longest domestic flight to beat virus

The airline had been operating the flight from Papeete to Paris with a stopover at Los Angeles but is now looking at three options because new US restrictions preclude the stopover.

So the airline will operate its new Boeing 787-9 with a smaller payload to enable it to perform the flight non-stop.

The nonstop flight will take 16 hours and 20 minutes for the 15,715km trip.

The airline has also operated a Paris to Vancouver to Papeete, route and will also try Paris Pointe-a-Pitre to Papeete flight.

Pointe-a-Pitre on the island Grande-Terre, in Guadeloupe, a French-governed archipelago in the Caribbean.