Connecting Paradise: Air Tahiti Weathers the Downturn Thanks to Prudent Fleet Selection

2008; De Gruyter; Volume: 45; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

ISSN

0002-2543

Autores

Anne Paylor,

Tópico(s)

International Law and Aviation

Resumo

This article focuses on Air Tahiti, an airline based in Tahiti that has found a unique niche in the market thanks to a nation composed of 48 islands in which air travel is the most practical means of transportation. In addition to its establishment in an area of high demand, the carrier has managed to weather the economic downturn by careful selection of its fleet and rapid turnover rates. By purchasing aircraft with the highest fuel efficiency and retiring the old, the airline manages to keep both fuel and maintenance costs low. In the future, however, the airline may be facing the elimination of a profit margin thanks to a tourism slowdown and a weak U.S. dollar. The article gives a brief history of the carrier, projecting that, despite a rocky economy ahead, it remains in a better position than many airlines of today.

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