Another issue is that Pitcairn does not really have a safe place to operate a sea plane. There is no lagoon, bay, marina, cove, or anywhere that is predictably flat. Seaplanes can land just about anywhere, but taking off is another story. They need smooth flat conditions to take off safely. And you need a place to keep it, even for a short time, and board it. Seaplanes don't handle rough water like boats do.

Even now sometimes the conditions are sometimes too rough for cruise passengers to disembark.