Protocol signed to end French Polynesia airport firefighters strike Photo: Presidency of French Polynesia
Air Tahiti is continuing to finally fly hundreds of travellers stranded by a five-day firefighters strike across French Polynesia.
A protocol has been signed to end part of a dispute which crippled domestic air travel to dozens of destinations and disrupted tourism.
The deal reached is between the civil aviation authorities and publicly employed firefighters, but an agreement is yet to be concluded with some striking firefighters hired by private airport operators.
Although flights have resumed, it is expected to take at least until tomorrow for normal services to be re-established.
The strike also disrupted international air travel, with many flights being either brought forward or delayed to coincide with the roster of the skeleton staff that was kept on duty.
Tourism industry representatives expressed their dismay that a small number of firefighters could cripple operations of what is French Polynesia's main industry.
They called for a better legal framework to avoid a repetition of the problem.
