Review of Air Tahiti flight from Nuku Hiva to Hiva Oa in Economy

VTA

VT - Air Tahiti

Flight taken on 13 June 2022
VT823
12:20 00h 50m 13:10
Model ATR 72-600
Class Economy
Seat --
ChrisB
213 · 27 · 2 · 13

MARQUISES ISLANDS


Hello everyone and welcome to this sequel


No miles or status points accumulated with this flight, Air Tahiti is not part of one of the 3 known alliances.


photo maps

Good to know: the limit is 23kg but you are allowed 5kg more if you have a diving licence


The flight to Hiva Oa is still planned with a stopover at the other large island of the Marquesas, Nuku Hiva, to be able to arrive with a serene reserve of fuel and also to market the flight as much as possible I imagine since the two islands seem to be at an equal distance of arc of a circle from PPT.

The journey will be made in a latest generation ATR72-600 with 68 seats, a little more generous than the usual 72 seats on this type of aircraft.


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We still have our boarding pass from PPT and a small "transit" card given to us by the hostess when we disembarked. The only advantage is that we can board before the other passengers.


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AT NUKU HIVA - NUKU A TAHA AIRPORT (DESERTIC LAND)


I think the nickname of the airport is well found, if you remember the photos in the previous report.

Here it is, very small and cute, but proudly displaying the Marquesan flag.

Like all flights in Polynesia, boarding is done in the open air and therefore on foot.


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There is also a company that provides helicopter connections, which is curious since we are still far from the armored and wealthy tourists of Bora Bora.


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ONBOARD THE ATR72


Rerehau means "peaceful flight" and it was, we didn't have a single turbulence during our entire stay.


Aircraft : ATR72-600
Tail Number: F-ORVU
Engines: 2x PWV WP127
Age:8 years old
Lay out: Y68
Named: Rerehau


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We find the same charming male crews who are always so smiling and very professional, they will replay the entire preparation procedure before takeoff…


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A quick word about the Marquesas which are the youngest in Polynesia… we can see it clearly with their high volcanoes and the absence of a lagoon/coral reef around the island.
We were told that it is a bit of an exception, the coral is there but it does not seem to want to grow excessively and does not reach the surface of the water, thus not creating the famous belt.


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It's still just magnificent… and we can still clearly see the natural state of the Marquesas, although this was not always the case since the population was divided by 10 between the first discovery by a navigator from the Viceroyalty of Peru and the 1980s - clearly the effects of coli


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Still the magazine which is part of all my flight reports.


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We continue the file on the occasional canopies with the very large presence, it seems, of numerous Tikis as well as slightly less traditional quads.


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the famous avgeek page that we love.


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The flight was quick and without any service, it's a bit of a shame, it's not that I was thirsty but 50min of flight is longer than a CDG-LHR or CDG-LYS where they have time to serve a little something to the passengers.

Here are the first views of Hiva Oa


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The airport is located on high ground, landing on the trees is always impressive.


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AT HIVA OA - JACQUES BREL AIRPORT


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The airport is larger than Nuku Hiva and has a small arrival and boarding lounge and a snack bar.

A little curiosity, it is not a Marquesan flag that welcomes us but a Polynesian one.


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The arrival hall with the luggage racks where the suitcases are placed on the metal tables.


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View from the main town, Atuona.


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Display all

Product ratings

Airline

Air Tahiti 6.4

  • Cabin7.5 / 10
  • Cabin crew7.0 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi6.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering5.0 / 10
Departure airport

Nuku Hiva - NHV8.5

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access8.0 / 10
  • Services7.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness9.0 / 10
Arrival Airport

Hiva Oa - AUQ7.9

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access8.5 / 10
  • Services6.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness7.0 / 10

Conclusion

Air Tahiti:
The -600 generation ATRs are pleasant and less noisy than the -500s in my memories.
The crew is very professional, but this one was very charming, smiling and always willing to say a few words.
The cabin is decorated, of course, but the seats do not recline, the armrest is shaky but they have the advantage of having the space between the two seats filled which allows a certain intimacy.
In terms of catering, I am a little embarrassed to rate, it is not really without snacks since we had it on the previous leg.

AUQ: Small airport just as simple and functional

NHV: A very small and cute airport but we will see that there are even smaller ones. Obviously, given the size of the airport everything is very simple and efficient.

For memory here are my criteria to try and be fair at each report
-Entertainment: None < 4.5 Magazine 6< a smartphone application 7< Wifi 8 < IFE = 10
-Cabin: visually interesting, comfortable and user friendly> 7.5. For example, "Ironing boards" are <7
-Crew: Went for the extra mile, they've outdone themselves > 7.5
- Meal: : Buy On Board <5 Free <7.5< Visually interesting, satisfying, visually good and yummy

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