Air Tahiti Takes Delivery of ATR 72-600 With 26-Seat All-Business Class Cabin
Why It MattersTurboprop premium cabins now serve island and leisure routes where jet-style comfort is otherwise scarce, and a second operator adopting the layout suggests the niche is becoming a repeatable product.
What happened
Air Tahiti has taken delivery of a new ATR 72-600 fitted with an ATR HighLine All-Business Class cabin. It is the second airline to introduce this premium configuration on an ATR aircraft. The cabin holds 26 individual seats in a 1-by-1 layout, so every passenger has direct aisle access.
Private rows for couples, increased personal space, dedicated storage and USB A+C charging ports are included, along with an executive-style ceiling intended to make the cabin feel more spacious and light-filled. The interior was developed in close collaboration with Air Tahiti and blends premium comfort with design elements inspired by Polynesian culture.
The aircraft will support the launch of Air Tahiti Signature, a new premium service connecting Tahiti with destinations in French Polynesia including Bora Bora and Raiatea-Tahaa. The first commercial flight is scheduled for December 2026. Air Tahiti plans to use the aircraft on both scheduled flights and charter missions.
Together with dedicated ground services and an upgraded onboard offering, the aircraft will underpin the airline's new end-to-end premium travel experience. It joins the fleet as part of Air Tahiti's ongoing renewal programme, extending a partnership with ATR that spans nearly four decades. The delivery follows the entry into service earlier this year of the world's first ATR 72-600 in the ATR HighLine All-Business Class configuration, with Berjaya Air.
Industry impact & what to watch
A 26-seat all-business turboprop sits in a space between scheduled regional service and charter. Air Tahiti's plan to fly the same airframe on both scheduled and charter missions reflects how premium island-hopping products are often built: one aircraft, two revenue streams, with the cabin doing the work of justifying a higher fare or charter rate.
With Berjaya Air entering service earlier this year and Air Tahiti now second, the configuration has moved from a single launch case to a pattern of two operators in different markets. Leisure-heavy routes such as those to Bora Bora are the natural testing ground, since the passenger is paying for the experience of the trip as much as for the transport.
The next dated milestone is the first commercial Air Tahiti Signature flight in December 2026, which will show how the premium service, ground handling and cabin work together in actual operation.
