1. What was the initial vision behind Motu Link Airline, and how does the company address the structural gap in international freight transport in French Polynesia?
Motu Link was created to meet the needs of the population and professionals across the Polynesian archipelagos and Tahiti. Today, freight transport relies primarily on cargo ships, and while limited air freight options do exist through Air Tahiti, capacity remains constrained as priority is given to passengers.
There has never been a truly efficient logistics connection between the archipelagos themselves, despite real economic exchanges between them. French Polynesia needs to grow and develop production activities across its islands.
Motu Link aims to become a missing link in the logistics chain by addressing this structural deficit in freight transport. By using dedicated air cargo, we will connect the archipelagos more efficiently and significantly reduce delivery times between the islands and Tahiti.
This will strengthen the logistics chain for agricultural products, seafood, medical supplies, and increasingly for e-commerce shipments from the United States and Europe.
2. What is the timeline for launching Motu Link Airline, and what key steps remain before commercial operations begin?
Our aircraft arrived a little more than two weeks ago, and I’m pleased to share that we have already successfully validated our maintenance audit.
We are now continuing a series of final audits conducted by the different civil aviation authorities involved in obtaining our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). These remaining audits are currently underway and, if all goes as planned, should be completed by Wednesday.
This is a complex process involving multiple stakeholders, including operational compliance, state authorization, and airfield access approvals. Our teams are fully mobilized to ensure everything meets the highest standards of safety and compliance.
Once all validations are completed and the AOC is issued, we expect to be able to launch operations within a matter of weeks.
3. Where do you currently stand in the regulatory process for obtaining the Air Operator Certificate?
With the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), we have a compliance checklist that must be fully validated before we can obtain the certificate. At this stage, about 95 percent of the process has been completed.
The remaining steps mainly involve crew flight inspections for certification on the local network, alongside the final validation phases of the audits currently in progress. Once these are completed, we expect to finalize the certification process shortly.
4. You recently acquired an ATR 72-500F cargo aircraft. How does it fit into your strategy to build a fleet of three aircraft by 2027?
The ATR 72-500F is our first aircraft and will allow us to launch our cargo transport operations. It will serve routes with strong freight flows, both from Tahiti to the islands and between the islands themselves.
Our fleet strategy is built around demand. To ensure operational reliability and avoid disruptions when aircraft enter maintenance, we plan to operate three aircraft by 2027.
Even before launching operations, we have already seen that demand is extremely strong. For example, there is already demand for transporting livestock between New Caledonia and French Polynesia, which opens the door to developing new routes between Pacific countries.
We intend to acquire additional second-hand aircraft that are well suited to the island environment. The ATR platform was a deliberate choice, as these aircraft are proven in tropical and insular conditions. Our aircraft has been converted into a fully cargo configuration, offering around eight tons of capacity and approximately 75,000 liters of cargo space.
5. Why is a dedicated air cargo airline essential for French Polynesia?
Today there is a very strong dependence on cargo ships, and existing capacity is no longer sufficient to meet growing demand from both populations and professionals across the islands.
Air cargo provides flexibility and speed that maritime transport cannot match. For example, routes that currently take several days by boat can be completed in just a few hours by air.
This is particularly critical for perishable goods such as agricultural products, fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and meat. Faster transport dramatically improves quality, reduces waste, and supports local economic development.
6. Motu Link raised nearly $5 million through crowdfunding campaigns. What does this level of participation reveal about public confidence in the project?
We are the first airline in the world to use crowdfunding to finance part of an aircraft acquisition. The campaign raised around 380 million XPF, with approximately 72 percent of the investment coming from Polynesians, which remains highly significant.
This strong participation shows that people believe in the project. We also made a deliberate choice to allow small entry investments, starting at around $100, so that a broad portion of the population could take part.
It was important for us to create a project that is supported by the community and reflects a shared vision for the future of Polynesia.
7. How does Motu Link fit into broader economic development and sustainability goals in French Polynesia?
The aircraft we use is among the most efficient and environmentally responsible in its category. As a turboprop, it has a much lower carbon footprint than jet aircraft. That said, aviation will always have an environmental impact, and we are very conscious of that.
However, sustainability is not only about environmental impact, it is also about economic and social development. One of our key goals is to reduce the isolation of the islands. By improving connectivity, we enable local populations to develop agriculture, fisheries, and other economic activities without having to relocate to Tahiti.
In some cases, air transport also provides critical infrastructure support. For example, if an essential generator breaks down on a remote island, we could deliver a replacement within hours instead of weeks. This improves resilience and quality of life for island communities.
8. How could improved domestic connectivity strengthen trade with the United States, particularly California?
The United States is already one of the main markets for Polynesian fish exports. Currently, most of the fish exported from Polynesia is frozen because of logistical constraints. With an efficient air cargo network, we could eventually export fresh fish to the U.S. market.
Another important factor is e-commerce. Polynesians increasingly purchase goods online, particularly from American platforms. However, many suppliers do not ship directly to remote islands. By partnering with international airlines and freight forwarders, we could create logistics solutions that connect U.S. freight hubs with islands such as Bora Bora, Rangiroa, or Nuku Hiva.
This could open new opportunities for trade and logistics partnerships with companies on the U.S. West Coast.
9. What are the main operational challenges of launching an airline in such a complex island environment?
One of the biggest challenges is infrastructure. The airport in Tahiti is already operating near capacity, and modernization projects have been delayed for many years. Even finding parking space for our aircraft was difficult at one stage.
In addition, infrastructure upgrades across the islands depend heavily on maritime logistics. If a cargo ship is delayed or breaks down, construction projects can be delayed as well.
Another challenge is the capital intensity of the aviation sector. Aircraft maintenance, spare parts, and technical services have become significantly more expensive since the pandemic. Managing these costs carefully is essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the business.
10. What long-term impact could Motu Link have on food security and local economic development?
Today Polynesia imports many basic food products, even though many of them could be produced locally. The problem is logistics. Farmers often plan their harvests according to the shipping schedules of cargo vessels.
With regular air freight rotations, producers will have predictable logistics and faster access to markets. This could help strengthen food security and encourage local production.
For example, some islands produce large quantities of vegetables such as cabbage, yet these products arrive spoiled after several days at sea. With air transport, they could reach markets fresh.
The same applies to fisheries, oysters, and even flowers. Air cargo opens the door to exports and new commercial opportunities. Ultimately, it creates a circular economy where producers, consumers, and logistics providers all benefit.
11. What message would you like to send to readers in California and across the United States?
Our ambition goes beyond simply creating an airline. We want French Polynesia to become a logistics and cargo hub in the South Pacific, similar to what some smaller territories have achieved in other regions of the world.
Polynesia is geographically small on the map, but its maritime territory is vast and strategically located between the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. If we can build the right logistics infrastructure, we can connect these regions more effectively.
We would welcome partnerships with American companies and investors interested in developing this vision. The Pacific region has enormous potential, culturally, economically, and environmentally, and stronger connectivity can unlock many opportunities for collaboration.
12. Is there anything you would like to add?
Behind Motu Link there is a dedicated team and a diverse group of shareholders from different industries, aviation, maritime transport, logistics, and others. Our goal is not to compete aggressively with existing operators but to complement the ecosystem.
We want to build a service that responds to real needs while working collaboratively with the local environment and existing stakeholders. Our ambition is to create a sustainable and long-term logistics network that benefits the entire territory.
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