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Airbus A.340-313X (c/n 385)
Air Tahiti Nui
Basel/Mulhouse-EuroAirport (BSL/LFSB)
22 June 2005
Ordered by and built for Sabena, this A.340-300 eventually went to Tahiti in late 2001, after Sabena went down the dole. The aircraft became F-OJGF with Air Tahiti Nui and was named "Mangareva", after the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia.
The word "Nui" in the airline's name means "big" or "great" in Tahitian, underlining Air Tahiti's international reach beyond domestic flights within French Polynesia, connecting the French overseas territory with destinations such as Los Angeles, Paris or Tokyo.
F-OJGF was seen gently touching down on then runway 16 around sunset, making an extremely rare appearance on completion of a charter service from Los Angeles-International. The aircraft was initially vectored to runway 34, but changing winds led to a runway change at the last minute, forcing 20-odd spotter vehicles into a race from one runway end to the other. Everybody arrived safely and right in time, and the result was the above photo.
F-OJGF continued service with Air Tahiti Nui until 2019, when it was withdrawn from use and stored at Marana-Pinal Airpark, where it was eventually broken-up in spring 2020.