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Home » Reviews » Flight Reviews » Review: Air Tetiaroa Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (Tahiti – Tetiaroa)
Air TetiaroaFlight Reviews

Review: Air Tetiaroa Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (Tahiti – Tetiaroa)

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 5, 2024June 5, 2024 9 Comments

a man in a yellow vest in a plane

Our stay at The Brando really began on our flight to The Brando, a short but breathtaking flight on a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander between Tahiti and Tetiaroa.

Air Tetiaroa Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander Review (PPT-TTI)

Round-trip tickets from Tahiti cost €500 each and will be booked on your behalf by The Brando and added to your room bill. You can also fly in from Bora Bora via charter or once-weekly service.

We arrived at the dedicated Air Tetiaroa terminal (also known as domestic terminal 2) about an hour before our departure and were graciously checked in by staff.

a building with a roof and a parking lot

a sign on a wall

a person standing in a parking lot

a entrance to a building

All of our bags was carefully weighed, including my laptop bag and my wife’s purse, but we were not weighed! Each passenger receives a total baggage allowance of 32 kg (about 70 pounds).

a man standing at a desk

The security check was quick and we then relaxed in the lounge until a safety video was played about 10 minutes before boarding. The captain then introduced himself and invited us to board the aircraft.

a room with blue couches and a tv

a room with a couch and coffee table

a tv on a wall

a screen on the wall

a tv on a wall

a tv on the wall

As we stepped out of the lounge and onto the sultry tarmac, our hand baggage was collected…the only thing we were allowed to keep on our person was our phones.

Air Tetiaroa 23
Papeete (PPT) – Tetiaroa Atoll (TTI)
Thursday, March 21
Depart: 1:58 PM
Arrive: 2:18 PM
Duration: 0hr, 20min
Distance: 37 miles
Aircraft: BN-2
Seat: Row 2

Six passengers were onboard, including my wife and me, two other guests, and two employees (the aircraft seats eights). The captain flew solo: no first officer. There were no assigned seats and I had not thought much about seating, but was very thankful we boarded last because it meant we got to sit right behind the captain and enjoy prime views out the front window.

a plane on the tarmac

the tail of a plane

the cockpit of a plane

With the turboprop engines, it was quite loud and we were all given headsets to put on such that instructions could be clearly dispensed in case of an emergency.

It was warm onboard, but cooled of once we took off. Individual air vents, a reading light, a seat pocket, and safety card were available. Legroom was tight, but the views more than made up for it.

a person's legs in a seat

a hand holding a package of a plane

a red handle on a door

the front of a plane

a close up of a speaker

There was even no smoking and fasten seatbelt lights illuminated.

a close up of a sign

We pushed back and took off, gently gliding into the air (though it was loud).

It was a beautiful afternoon and almost immediately we could see Tetiaroa in the distance.

a view of a city from a plane

a propeller of a plane

a close up of a plane

a man in a yellow vest in a cockpit of a plane

a man in a yellow vest in a plane

a man in a cockpit of a plane

an island in the ocean

Time out. My German wife Heidi is a notoriously difficult woman to please. It takes a whole lot to impress her, but this flight made her smile. She was so mesmerized by the views…everyone onboard was:

a cockpit of a plane with a view of the ocean

an island in the ocean

a man in a yellow vest and headphones in a plane cockpit

an island in the ocean

an airplane propeller and an island

an aerial view of an island in the ocean

a man in a yellow vest in a cockpit of a plane

a man in a yellow vest in a plane

a person in a cockpit of a plane

Presently, we flew over the Tetiaroa Atoll and made a turn before landing on a small airstrip near the resort.

an aerial view of a body of water

an aerial view of a small island and land

an airplane window with an island in the background

a blue ocean with trees and a blue sky

an aerial view of a beach and land

a man in a yellow vest

a propeller of an airplane

a yellow vest on a seat by a window with a body of water

a person in a cockpit of a plane

an island with trees in the ocean

a cockpit of an airplane

a man in a yellow vest on a plane

a group of people standing under a hut

a man in a yellow vest in a cockpit of a plane

As we stepped off the aircraft, staff were waiting to greet us and our personal items were returned.

the tail of an airplane

a plane on the ground

a plane on a runway

a path with bushes and trees

a group of people walking on a path with bushes and trees

a man and woman standing in a dirt area with palm trees

CONCLUSION

What a short but sweet flight–one of the most beautiful of my life. My entire stay at The Brando was beautiful, but the beauty began on this flight…a quintessential part of the journey.

As you’ll see in my return review, you want to get on the BN-2 if at all possible versus the DHC6-300 Twin Otter…the views onboard are better due to the lack of partition between the cockpit and cabin.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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9 Comments

  1. Malik on Wall Street Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 7:43 am

    Sounds similar to my experience. For us, it got very windy all of a sudden and we had to wait out the pocket of wind passing by but the views from the air made it worth it.

  2. Tjay Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 9:29 am

    I didn’t realize the Britten-Norman Islander was available with turbine power (BN-2T) Very cool.

  3. Dave/Sharon/Tom Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 9:51 am

    I’m an idiot.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 5, 2024 at 10:07 am

      Okay…if you say so.

  4. Ricardo Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 9:53 am

    Very nice!!
    Was Ricardo Montalbán and his assistant, Tattoo, waiting for you?
    For those who were born in this century, it also seems like the new season of White Lotus.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 5, 2024 at 9:55 am

      Mother is on her way.

      And about that upgrade?!

      Lol.

    • Billiken Reply
      June 5, 2024 at 1:26 pm

      @Ricardo, I was thinking the same thing!

  5. DavidM Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 2:37 pm

    The wife would not let you ride in the right seat up front, lol? Very nice shots of the approach – not sure that any pics from snorkeling could beat this, but that’s my av geek side speaking. Thanks for sharing on your anniversary trip.

  6. JoeMart Reply
    June 5, 2024 at 4:05 pm

    Imagine how much more intense the moment would have been for your tough to impress German other half if you had played the song ” Hold me now” during the flight.

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