For the last 10 years, Air Tahiti Nui wouldprobably remember it as a decade of finding its footing in the international aviation arena.

Since its first flight on November 20, 1998 from French Polynesia to Los Angeles, the airline has continued to suffer losses and has had to cut back on some of its routes due to rising fuel costs.

Air Tahiti Nui was established to maintain links with its main tourism markets—Los Angeles and Japan—after some airlines decided to cancel their flights to Papeete.

Two months from its 10th anniversary, the airline announced it was suspending all flights to Osaka but will continue to fly to Tokyo.

As of October 24, the airline also suspended its New York service. However, it will continue to operate its Papeete/LA/Papete service.

The Papeete/NY/Papeete service is expected to recommence next May during the country’s tourism peak season.

Since, the beginning of this route in 2005, many believed the route was a misjudgement as the service which was to have attracted Americans from day one didn’t happen.

Passenger loads needed to make the route profitable was about 70 percent but instead, it was only carrying 35 percent passenger-loads most of the time.

Assisted by the French government through tax breaks, Air Tahiti Nui has been able to build a fleet of five Airbuses but was still not able to attract the numbers it wanted over the years.

“It’s no secret that the airline industry is taking a hit with the steadily rising costs of jet fuel,” Air Tahiti Nui vice-president Americas, Nick Panza said during the suspension of the New York-Papeete service.

“Unfortunately, we have been forced to make service cuts even though our New York flights have been quite popular, especially during the high summer season—making French Polynesia (Tahiti) an easily accessible and a highly desirable vacation destination for East Coasters.”

It nevertheless won awards for its cabin service. Recently it won the award for the best airline and best cabin staff in the region for the sixth year in a row in the Skytrax 2008 world airline survey.

Skytrax measures over 35 different aspects of passenger satisfaction of an airline’s products and service standards, evaluating the “typical” travel experiences.

Results for the 2008 awards were calculated from 15.44 milion completed surveys from leisure and business air travellers of more than 95 different nationalities across all cabin types.

Panza said it was gratifying to be honoured on the eve of their tenth anniversary.

In addition, the airline was voted one of the top ten international airlines in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards Survey. But not so good news is the revelation that international visitors to French Polynesia dropped by eight percent during the first nine months of this year.

In addition, Air France was reducing from four to three its Los-Angeles-Papeete flights—a reduction of about 25 percent in seat capacity or 13,760 fewer economy class seats over a year.

Air France further announced it was increasing its airfares by three to five percent independent of any fuel surcharges and switching from Airbus to Boeing planes.

Adding more to Tahiti Tourisme’s woes is the cancellation of the Silversea Cruises’ 132-passenger expedition ship Prince Albert II to operate in French Polynesia, preferring instead to begin an Arctic cruise programme.

According to Tahitipresse, reasons given were the lack of forward bookings due to the current global financial crisis.

But the tourism industry hopes the lure of free pearls offered by the national airline as an incentive to visit the country and the buy one ticket, get one free promoted by Air Tahiti Nui will attract visitors to French Polynesia.

As a 10th anniversary gesture, available until January 15, Air Tahiti Nui is presenting each first and business class passenger with a sealed envelope containing a Robert Wan pearl.

Economy class passengers are receiving a gift certificate to redeem their free pearl at one of seven Robert Wan jewellery boutiques in French Polynesia, an airline spokesman confirmed.

The offer, which began in October, applies to all Air Tahiti Nui flights arriving in Papeete from Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland.

The pearls and pearl certificates are presented after the flights arrive in the French territory.

“The Tahitian pearl is a symbol of beauty and perfection which represents the way we feel about Tahiti, our home, and one of the world’s most aspirational holiday destinations,” said Craig Lee, the airline’s regional director in Australia. “This iconic gift is our way of thanking passengers for their support and helping to remind them of their time in Tahiti.”