On October 5, the arrivals screen at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lit with a new name among all the usual Portlands and Chicago O’Hares: the city of Papeete. Air Tahiti Nui flight 52 landed mid-morning to great fanfare from the airline and airport, marking the first direct flight from Tahiti to Seattle. But why do we need air route to a far-off South Pacific island?
Bringing a new flight to Sea-Tac Airport can be a complicated process, sometimes taking years. Sea-Tac isn’t New York City or London, says airport media relations manager Perry Cooper, so it’s not so congested that airlines have to wrestle over “slots” in Sea-Tac’s schedule. By federal
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