Air Tahiti Faces Open-Ended Strike From October 22 as Fuel-Supplier Talks Collapse

October 22, 2026 — French Polynesia’s domestic carrier Air Tahiti went into Thursday, October 22, facing an open-ended strike by its own staff and a separate walkout at Somstat, the company that fuels aircraft at Tahiti-Faa’a. Talks had not produced a deal by Wednesday evening, and the airline warned of major disruption to inter-island flights.

What happened

Three unions at Air Tahiti, the CSIP, O Oe To Oe Rima and the cabin crew union Spencat, filed strike notices on Friday, October 16. A second notice covers Somstat, the aviation fuel company at Faa’a. Both notices expired overnight Wednesday into Thursday, October 22, and the strike has no set end date.

According to Radio1 Tahiti, three rounds of talks at Air Tahiti ended without a signed agreement, and the Somstat talks broke down on Wednesday afternoon. Whether and how widely staff walked out on Thursday morning had not been confirmed in the reports we reviewed (TBA).

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What the unions want

The Air Tahiti unions are asking for bonuses and pay rises for cabin crew, ground staff, cleaners and airfield workers, plus new equipment such as radios, waterproof lamps and replacement vehicles, card payment terminals for outer-island agencies, and more staff per flight, which they say is a safety issue. At Somstat, the union wants four new hires, saying headcount has fallen from 24 in 2007 to 21 today.

Air Tahiti CEO Édouard Wong Fat told Radio1 Tahiti the demands are mainly financial and hard to meet after three years of heavy losses and a sharp rise in fuel prices. He said the airline has not yet received state aid for the fuel crisis.

How Air Tahiti is handling passengers

• The schedule is being kept as published, and passengers are told to check in at the normal time, because the airline cannot know in advance who will strike.
• Some flights will still operate with non-striking staff. A flight is cancelled if its cabin crew do not report or if it cannot be fuelled.
• Change and refund fees are waived when a cancellation is caused by Air Tahiti’s own staff striking. The airline says it will not cover passengers when the cause is the Somstat strike, because that is a different company.
• Cancelled bookings are being moved to placeholder flights (numbered 1001 to 1019) that will not operate, and passengers get an SMS or email.
• Tahiti Tourisme staff are at Faa’a airport to help travelers.

The CSIP disputes the airline’s position on the fuel strike and argues that Somstat’s walkout could also affect Air Moana and international flights.

What it means for non-revs

• Do not count on Air Tahiti this week. If you are heading to Bora Bora, Moorea or the outer islands on a ZED, interline or discounted ticket, expect cancellations at short notice and no firm end date.
• Know which waiver applies. Free changes and refunds only apply when Air Tahiti’s own staff cause the cancellation. A flight lost to the fuel strike is not covered.
• Build in extra days. If you must connect from an international arrival at Papeete, leave plenty of time before your flight home, and have a backup plan for accommodation in Tahiti.
• Watch the fuel dispute. The union says the Somstat walkout could also touch international flights at Faa’a. No international cancellations had been reported when we checked.

Sources

• Radio1 Tahiti — Les passagers d’Air Tahiti appelés à se présenter malgré la grève
• Radio1 Tahiti — Chez Air Tahiti, des revendications « très difficiles » à accepter vu le contexte économique et pétrolier
• TNTV News — Préavis de grève : risque d’importantes perturbations des vols d’Air Tahiti dès ce jeudi
• TNTV News — Air Tahiti et la Somstat se préparent à la grève
• Tahiti Infos — Air Tahiti : perturbation du trafic domestique