Alaska Airlines will launch nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Faa'a International Airport (PPT) in Papeete, Tahiti (French Polynesia), on June 11, 2027. The route will operate three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, year-round, using Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The westbound departure leaves Seattle at 11:55 p.m. and arrives in Papeete at 7:20 a.m. the following morning, per the Alaska Airlines press release. FOX 13 Seattle noted the service will operate under flight number AS987, a reference to French Polynesia's postal code.
The route will be the only nonstop connection between Seattle and Tahiti, per KING 5 News. Hawaiian Airlines has operated Honolulu-Papeete service since 2011, which will continue. The new SEA-PPT link gives travelers from Seattle same-day connections to Bora Bora and Moorea. The aircraft will feature lie-flat business class and complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi.
The Papeete route is the second of two long-haul Pacific additions by Alaska Air Group announced on October 20, 2026, alongside Seattle-Osaka (KIX) starting May 14, 2027. Both routes are part of the "Alaska Accelerate" initiative targeting 15 or more long-haul international destinations from Seattle by 2030. Both remain subject to government approval. Introductory round-trip fares from $999 to Papeete were available through October 26, 2026.
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