Air Tahiti Nui’s striking new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is flashing its tatts for the first time in the US aerospace giant's facility in Charleston, South Carolina.
The 787-9 emerged from Boeing’s paint shop sporting a livery reflecting the marine blues of the lagoon at Fakarava, the picturesque atoll in French Polynesia's Tuamotu Islands after which the plane is named.
A tattoo emblazoned on the hull includes ripples on the water, flocks of birds and symbolic creatures such as a manta ray (wisdom), a whale (strength and abundance) and an albatross (freedom).
Photo: Boeing.
It sports the registration MUA, which mean “moving forward” in Tahitian, as well as Air Tahiti Nui’s trademark tiare flower.
The Tahitian airline is due to start Dreamliner services between New Zealand capital Auckland and Papeete from November 8 as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
READ Air Tahiti Nui moves into helicopters.
It is phasing out its fleet of Airbus A340-300s and replacing them with four Dreamliners, two of them purchased and two leased from Air Lease Corporation.
The arrival of all four Dreamliners by September 2019 will see their registration codes will join together to say ‘the warrior (TOA) going forward (MUA) in the great (NUI) canoe (VAA)’.
Inside, the aircraft’s three cabins will have 30 business class, 32 premium economy and 232 economy seats.
Read our ratings for Air Tahiti Nui.
The Poerava Business Rockwell Collins Diamond seats will be in a 2-2-2 configuration with a 60-inch seat pitch the ability to transform into a 78-inch lie-flat bed. The airline says each seat is equipped with a” luxurious cushion and cover comfort system for restful travel” as well as an individual touchscreen remote control, personal lighting and privacy divider.
Onboard amenities include a thick duvet, a big pillow and a luxury kit of accessories.
The new Moana premium economy will come with 32 Z535 Zodiac Aerospace seat that in a 2-3-2 configuration. The seats are a comfortable 20.5 inches wide with a seat pitch of 38 inches with a generous recline of 20cm that cradles the passenger. Onboard amenities in this cabin include a polar blanket, a big pillow and an accessories kit.
The 232 Z300 Zodiac seats in economy will be in a 3-3-3 configuration with 31-inch seat pitch and 6-inch recline with an articulated seat pan. Passengers in economy also get a blanket, big pillow and accessories kit.
