A return to normal in the air sector has been announced for 2022, then 2023 and now 2025 … While waiting for this horizon, companies are sparing no effort to maintain their strategic advantage in the region of their choice. Among them, Air Tahiti Nui, which is opening up new destinations, is forging new partnerships with the aim of remaining a major player in its market. Mathieu Bichonnet, the aircraft manufacturer’s second-in-command, shows us his cards to maintain his lead in Polynesia, the region many competitors are eyeing.
What is the current status of Air Tahiti Nui in terms of attendance and passenger profiles?
Matthew Pichonet : 2022 was a year of continuous recovery for Air Tahiti Nui with 90% of the level of activity before the Covid crisis. The French market was one of the major players in this recovery. We expect to exceed these results in 2023 as we strengthen our lines in response to customer demand.
Polynesia is an area that will always make people dream, and today we see new players announcing their ambitions to work on the site. How do you welcome this new competition that is taking shape?
Competition is stimulating even if it can sometimes generate supply imbalances between players (carriers, hosts, etc.). We focus on providing the best service to our customers so they can enjoy a unique and immersive travel experience (the Polynesian experience begins on board Air Tahiti Nui).
Is your regional leadership threatened? What are your priority projects to maintain your positions and gain market share?
We have opened a new destination in the US (Tahiti/Seattle soon to be extended to Paris) to offer new flights with our latest aircraft (B787) which is very efficient at the operational level. With more destinations and more frequencies – especially with our airline partners like Alaska Airlines – we offer more choice for customers. Thus we maintain a large dominant position in our source markets and above all we are expanding our sales channels by strengthening our partnerships with key players in the market.
In the face of successive crises that have put many professions in the aviation sector under pressure, the traveler experience has deteriorated dramatically, even for business clients. How do you ensure the level of standards expected in this strategic area of business?
Demand for Business Class has never slowed down on our network thanks to our upscale leisure customers who have continued to travel during various crises. This allowed us to maintain our activity and therefore our level of service in constant contact with our suppliers. But customer expectations change and we must adapt to better meet them. The highly contributing leisure sector is very specific and we work a lot on the unique and immersive travel experience we offer.
Mathieu Pichonet: The current trend is very positive! We are glad to see that Polynesian fans still prefer Air Tahiti Nui when they want to go to our islands, because there is a desire to start the Polynesian trip before arriving in Tahiti.”
This part is also a distinguishing factor for airlines, what is your signature?
Our wealth is the human being, the warm welcome from our Polynesian crews and the attention we give during the cruise. The Boeing 787-9 is very modern, but we can’t forever boast of being the only company to operate it, so the differentiation is in the consistency of supply that meets demand. We are convinced that clients want a travel experience because coming to Polynesia starts with a deep drive to relax and live a special experience.
Trips to our islands are often long haul, so we’ve focused our attention on starting the Polynesian experience from the start of the trip and not just when we arrive, the trip begins with us – that’s where the trip begins – it’s our signature. Of course, we are not content with this individual aspect and raise our standards to what is best for our customers, as in the wine list – which is regularly rewarded – but also on the quality of the seat for better comfort by example.
Like many others, environmental transformation is a major topic for the aviation sector. When you’re a company that primarily connects long-distance services, how does addressing this challenge become more complex?
To cross long distances in the ocean, there is no alternative to the plane, so this forces us to be more voluntary to also contribute to the environmental transformation. Our fleet renewal has reduced our emissions by 25% as well as reducing our fuel consumption. We offer our clients compensation for their trip and receive 50% of this compensation at our expense. We are currently evaluating further actions moving forward. When choosing our products on board, we have adopted a reading network that takes into account not only the qualitative and financial aspects, but also and above all the environmental ones.
What are the current trends for this big spring and summer event?
We are seeing a strong pickup in activity and the current trend is very positive, we are glad to see that Polynesian fans still prefer Air Tahiti Nui when they want to go to our islands, wanting to start the long Polynesian journey before reaching Tahiti Faa, however, is what has been driving us since 25 yrs… and the journey continues.
For more :
Air Tahiti Nui
www.airtahitinui.com
<<< Read also: The air of Tahiti Nui, the beating heart of a province
>>>
