Air Tahiti Nui, French Polynesia’s flag carrier, will inaugurate the first nonstop service between Papeete Faa’a International Airport (PPT) and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) on December 14, 2026. The twice-weekly route ends a 17-year absence from the Australian market, last served in 2009, and replaces connections via Auckland that added over four hours to journeys.
Flights operate on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with business, premium economy, and economy cabins. TN301 departs Papeete at 12:10 local time on Mondays and Thursdays, arriving Sydney at 17:45 the next day. Return TN302 leaves Sydney at 20:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays, landing Papeete at 06:25. The roughly eight-hour sector accounts for daylight saving adjustments from March 28, 2027.
“With two direct flights per week and thanks to the codeshare agreement with Qantas, this service will provide Australian travelers with greater comfort and more frequency options,” stated CEO Lionel Guérin. The partnership complements Air Tahiti Nui’s twice-weekly Auckland service and enables single-ticket connections from North America and Europe via Papeete.
Papeete’s airport, 6 km west of the city, features an adjacent domestic terminal for Air Tahiti inter-island flights. In 2025, French Polynesia recorded 279,000 visitors, with 8,165 from Australia, signaling demand growth. Tickets are now available, supporting year-round operations and freight between the regions.