Air Tahiti Nui has established a partnership with the SYNLAB laboratory network to facilitate your travel.

To facilitate the COVID-19 RT-PCR testing required for entry into Polynesia, Air Tahiti Nui has established a partnership with the SYNLAB laboratory network. The lab directory is provided for information purposes only. Air Tahiti Nui disclaims all liability for the conditions and consequences of such testing.

Passengers must follow the steps outlined below: :

STEP 1: Make an appointment as soon as possible at a SYNLAB location. The appointment date must be no earlier than 3 days before the departure date of your flight to Tahiti :

Access the website synlab.fr or click on SYNLAB
Choose the most convenient lab for you. Simply enter an address or postal code and a list of lab will appear on the screen.
Click the LEARN MORE box for the lab of your choice and its address and contact information will appear.
Call the lab to present your request. The receptionist will help you schedule an appointment for your COVID-19 RT-PCR test.
Make an appointment for a COVID-19 RT-PCR test at the lab location recommended by the receptionist as early as possible within the 3 days prior to your flight's departure by identifying yourself as an Air Tahiti Nui passenger (Code: Air Tahiti Nui).
You will need to present either a medical prescription or your Air Tahiti Nui ticket in order to get the COVID-19 RT-PCR test.
This test has a fee, which is not paid by Air Tahiti Nui:
- With a prescription, the fees will be handled according to the terms of your social security office
- With your plane ticket, you will need to pay €75 for one person, €140 for a couple, and €60 per additional person within the same family. This fee includes €54 for the virological analysis as well as the necessary pre- and post-analysis documentation (collection of the patient's administrative data, collection of information required for proper analysis, verification of the conformity of biological samples, the taking of specimens, the necessary materials, and the post-analysis phase)

Consult this calendar before making your appointment, which must take place no earlier than 3 days before the flight's departure date: :

DAY OF FLIGHT	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Make an appointment on or after:	Friday morning	Saturday morning	Monday morning	Monday morning	Tuesday morning	Wednesday morning	Thursday morning
Results* expected by:	Saturday morning	Monday morning	Tuesday morning	Tuesday morning	Wednesday morning	Thursday morning	Friday morning

*Upon validation of the test result by a medical biologist:

The result/certificate is sent to the traveler by text message and/or email (if the mobile phone number and/or email address is/are provided upon creation of the medical file)
The result/certificate is available on the MySynlab results server. After the sample is taken, the passenger is given a login to access or create an account.

If the result is negative, Air Tahiti Nui will then confirm the travel authorization for Polynesia.
Please comply with physical distancing measures between your test date and your departure date to avoid exposure.

If the test result is positive, Air Tahiti Nui will not be able to allow you to fly. You will need to contact a doctor or hospital and follow the specified health guidelines. In that event, Air Tahiti Nui will send you a denied boarding statement, which allows you to obtain a refund or to postpone your trip without change fees. In order to travel to Polynesia again, you will need to take another COVID-19 RT-PCR test and get a negative result for COVID-19.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In order to get an RT-PCR test at a SYNLAB location, you can either consult a doctor to get a prescription or present your Air Tahiti Nui ticket at the lab reception desk.

If you do not have a prescription, you will need to pay €75 for one person, €140 for a couple, and €60 per additional person within the same family. This fee includes €54 for the virological analysis as well as the necessary pre- and post-analysis documentation (collection of the patient's administrative data, collection of information required for proper analysis, verification of the conformity of biological samples, the taking of samples, the necessary materials, and the post-analysis phase)

Sampling procedure for the RT-PCR test at SYNLAB laboratories: This is how a nasopharyngeal swab specimen is obtained.

Virological analysis procedure using the molecular biology technique at SYNLAB France network laboratories
The three phases of the medical biological examination are conducted in compliance with the procedures set forth by SYNLAB network laboratories and in ISO 15189 accredited laboratories.

Pre-analytical phase:

Specimens are taken by appointment at the lab office or lab drive-in closest to the people involved.
The specimen is obtained by a nurse or a medical biologist.
The method used is a nasopharyngeal swab. The collector puts a long, thin cotton swab into the patient's nostril to the nasopharynx in order to collect cells that may be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The sample is placed in a storage container and then transported to the lab's technical facility.

Analytical phase:

This phase consists of looking for the virus's genetic material (RNA). The technique used is called RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction). It allows for direct detection of the virus. All the reagents and techniques used by the SYNLAB network for Covid-19 tests are CE marked and approved by the Centre National de Référence – Institut Pasteur (CNR).

Post-analytical phase:

If the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 is identified during the RT-PCR, the test is positive.
The result answers only one question: Am I infected with SARS-CoV-2 and potentially contagious at the time when the sample is taken?
The results are validated and signed by a medical biologist. Please be advised that the biologists and their coworkers are bound by professional confidentiality requirements.
The results are delivered to the person tested and, if applicable, to a doctor designated by the patient.
The results are also available on the MySynlab results server (login provided at time of testing)
The biologists of the SYNLAB laboratory network are available to explain and interpret the result for the person tested.
According to a recent meta-analysis, RT-PCR sensitivity (diagnostic performance) is upwards of 90%, with a specificity of 100% (1).

The RT-PCR technique is the only technique that can detect the virus in asymptomatic patients or those in the incubation phase (2).

1 - Kim H, Hong H, Yoon SH. Diagnostic Performance of CT and Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction for Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Meta-Analysis. Radiology. 2020 Apr 17:201343.
2 - Arons MM, Hatfield KM, Reddy SC, Kimball A, James A, Jacobs JR, Taylor J, Spicer K, Bardossy AC, Oakley LP, Tanwar S, Dyal JW, Harney J, Chisty Z, Bell JM, Methner M, Paul P, Carlson CM, McLaughlin HP, Thornburg N, Tong S, Tamin A, Tao Y, Uehara A, Harcourt J, Clark S, Brostrom-Smith C, Page LC, Kay M, Lewis J, Montgomery P, Stone ND, Clark TA, Honein MA, Duchin JS, Jernigan JA. Presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Transmission in a Skilled Nursing Facility. N Engl J Med. 2020 Apr 24:NEJMoa2008457.