Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Nadi International Airport [Photo Credit: Fiji Airports]
A new regional air route linking French Polynesia to Fiji, with stopovers in Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands, is in the works as part of a project aimed at improving connectivity across the region.
The initiative comes in response to long-standing challenges of travelling between islands, where both air and sea transport are often limited, costly, or time-consuming.
The French Ambassador to the Pacific revealed this at a press briefing, stating that this has been a long-term aim for France.
Ambassador of France to the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan says the French government has also pledged its support, confirming it will subsidise the service once a carrier is selected.
“We have one project on air connectivity, because you may have all experienced how difficult it is to go by air, but also by sea from one island to the other in the Pacific, so we want to use the air companies that we have through our territories.”
Lacan states that airlines based in French territories are being considered to operate the route.
She adds that on air connectivity, they are working on the project to green the airports of the Pacific.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Pacific, Frederic Roure, says that they are fine-tuning the technical aspects of this initiative.
“On the new route we have from French Polynesia to Fiji through different islands we are working on the technical matters first, and to this regard of this matter the discussions are going very well”
The new route would mark a significant step forward in bridging gaps across the Pacific and fostering stronger ties among island nations.
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