The French Polynesian government is alarmed at the decision by Air Tahiti to drop 26 loss-making routes.
Air Tahiti plane Photo: RNZI/Walter Zweifel
The domestic airline said it would retain only 20 destinations of its network because of the impact oп the Covid-19 pandemic.
The transport minister Jean-Christophe Bouissou said this drop of service amounted to taking the population of the entire islands hostage.
He also described the airline's call for a government subsidy as blackmail, saying the carrier should seek to broaden its capital base.
The government's stake in the carrier is 14 percent.
Mr Bouissou warned a failure to restore the links would force the government to set up a new airline.
He asked for a meeting with the manager of Air Tahiti this week.