Air Tahiti Nui is preparing a major cabin retrofit for all four of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, pairing new seats and refreshed interiors with high-speed Starlink internet. The project is linked to an XPF 8.5 billion government loan proposal in French Polynesia and would lift Business Class capacity from 30 to 38 seats per aircraft, though it still needs territorial assembly approval.
The overhaul is scheduled to start in late 2028 and continue into 2029, making it a longer-term fleet programme rather than an immediate operational change. Financing would be released in stages, with an initial tranche expected in 2026 and the balance spread across 2027 and 2028.
The retrofit is designed to cover all three cabin classes and to improve both onboard product and connectivity across the widebody fleet. For the Papeete-based carrier, the upgrade is part of a broader effort to strengthen competitiveness and improve commercial performance against rivals. Final cabin-design decisions are expected later in September, underlining that the interior specification is still being finalised.