Tag: Mauritius

Indian Ocean Based Air Austral Becomes First French A220 Operator

July 28, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Mirabel, Canada – The first of the three A220s for Air Austral, France’s La Reunion Island-based airline, has been delivered from the Airbus A220 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Mirabel, Canada. The second and third aircraft are expected to join the Air Austral fleet in the coming days.

Airbus is delighted to welcome Air Austral as a new Airbus customer and operator. This A220 will be the first of the type to be operated by a French airline in the Indian Ocean region.

Air Austral has selected the Airbus A220-300 as part of its medium and short-haul fleet modernisation plan in order to boost its operational efficiency, offering an enhanced passenger experience in a comfortable two-class cabin layout with 132 seats: 12 in business class and 120 in economy-class.

Bearing the airline’s distinctive livery representing La Reunion Island’s beautiful landscapes, Air Austral will strengthen its regional network with three A220-300s, flying on routes between La Réunion Island and Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, South Africa, Madagascar, and as far as India.

Powered by latest-generation geared turbofan engines, Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G, the A220 is the quietest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. The aircraft features a 50% reduced noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft, 25% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions per seat as well as 50% lower NOx emissions than current industry standards.

To date over 160 A220s have been delivered, operating routes in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ new generation single-aisle family member.

Emirates Restarts Passenger Services to Mauritius as Island Nation Reopens

July 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Emirates has announced it will restart passenger services to Mauritius this summer with two weekly flights from 15 July, as the island-nation gradually re-opens its borders to international tourists. To serve market demand, the airline has also announced it will deploy its iconic Emirates A380 aircraft to Mauritius starting 1 August. Fully vaccinated travellers can enjoy a relaxing and safe getaway in a list of pre-approved COVID-19 safe resorts across the island.

Emirates’ flights to Mauritius will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays. Starting from 15 July, the route will be served utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and from 1 August, utilising the Emirates A380 aircraft. Emirates flight EK 701 will depart Dubai 2:35hrs and arrive in Mauritius at 9:10hrs local time. The return flight will operate on Fridays and Sundays. Emirates flight EK 704 will depart Mauritius at 23:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 5:45hrs local time, the following day.

Emirates flights to Mauritius can be booked on emirates.com, via travel agents or Emirates Sales Office.

The Emirates A380 experience remains a favourite amongst travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins and the airline will continue to expand its deployment in line with the gradual return in demand. Emirates currently operates the A380 to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Toronto, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Moscow, Amman, Cairo, and Guangzhou.

From white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and luscious landscapes – Mauritius remains one the most popular holiday destinations, attracting travellers across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. Emirates passengers can also enjoy other Indian Ocean destinations, as the airline offers 28 weekly flights to Maldives and seven weekly flights to Seychelles.

Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy tailor-made packages at world-class hotels and resorts across the island. For more information, click here

Air Mauritius Takes Delivery Of Its First A330neo

April 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Air Mauritius has taken delivery of its first A330-900, on lease from ALC during a ceremony held in Toulouse. The national carrier of the Republic of Mauritius is the first A330neo operator based in the southern hemisphere, and the first airline in the world to operate a combination of both the A330neo and A350 XWB.

Benefiting from the A330neo’s unbeatable operating economics and award-winning Airspace cabin, the aircraft (named Aapravasi Ghat in reference to Mauritius’ history) will feature a two-class cabin with 28 business class seats and 260 economy class seats. The carrier will deploy the aircraft on routes connecting Mauritius to Europe (mainly London and Geneva), India and South East Asian routes and on regional destinations including Johannesburg, Antananarivo and Reunion Island.

Air Mauritius CEO Somas Appavou stated: “I am delighted to welcome our first Airbus A330neo, another milestone in our fleet modernisation programme. The addition of two A330neos to our fleet will bring more flexibility and efficiency to our operations while supporting our network strategy. The A330neo offers similar levels of comfort as the A350 XWB, which has received very favourable feedback from our customers. I strongly believe that with the addition of the A330neo to our fleet, Air Mauritius will further reinforce its focus and emphasis on the customer who are at the very core of our business model.”

“Sugar and spice and all things nice! Like its namesake, inspired by the island’s history in developing the sugar industry, their first A330neo will pioneer Air Mauritius into a whole different level of efficiency and flexibility by operating both the A330neo and the A350 XWB, our latest generation widebodies”, said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “Passengers will enjoy unmatched levels comfort in our award winning ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabins on both aircraft. Well done to our trusted partner on being the world’s first airline to operate the A330neo and the A350 XWB together – a sweet combination!”

Air Mauritius currently operates nine Airbus aircraft, of which two A350-900s, three A340-300s, two A330-200s and two A319s on its regional and long haul services.

The A330neo Family is the new generation A330, comprising two versions: the A330-800 and A330-900 sharing 99 percent commonality. It builds on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330 Family, while reducing fuel consumption by about 25% per seat versus previous generation competitor aircraft and offering an unrivalled range capability. The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new wing with increased span and new A350 XWB-inspired Sharklets.

With an order book of more than 1,700 aircraft from 120 customers to date, the A330 is the most popular widebody family.

@AirMauritius @Airbus #A330neo

Air Peace Selects E195-E2, Becomes First E2 Operator in Africa

April 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Port Louis, Mauritius, April 3rd, 2019 –

Embraer has signed a firm order for 10 E195-E2 jets with Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline. The order was announced today, during the Embraer’s Africa Airline Business Seminar, in Mauritius. With this order, Air Peace will become the first E-Jets E2 operator in Africa. The contract includes purchase rights for a further 20 E195-E2. With all purchase rights being exercised, the contract has a value of USD 2.12 billion, based on current list prices. The order will be included in Embraer’s 2019 second-quarter backlog.

Air Peace has grown rapidly since it commenced flight operations in 2014 and is now the largest airline in West Africa. The airline intends to address the significant untapped demand in the African market with the E195-E2, the newest, most efficient, and most comfortable aircraft in the segment.

Air Peace Chairman/CEO, Mr. Allen Onyema, said, “Embraer’s new E195-E2 presents us with a marvel of economic performance. It’s also great that we will be the first E2 operator on the African continent. We already have the ERJ145s in our fleet, so we understand the high standards of Embraer products.”

“Air Peace embodies the kind of pioneering spirit that Embraer loves. The airline was established to bring highly skilled work opportunities to the people of Nigeria and to boost connectivity, which in turn significantly contributed to the economy in the region. Air Peace has delivered successfully on both aims, and has become a fast growing successful airline. It’s great to now have them onboard the E2 as well.” said Arjan Meijer, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

Meijer continued, “The market in Africa presents significant opportunities for airlines to deliver the connectivity that the whole continent needs. Aircraft however must be right-sized to develop those routes profitably; more than 90% of intra-African flights depart with fewer than 150 passengers onboard. And more than 70% of markets are served with less than one flight per day.”

Air Peace subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper, started operating six ERJ145 last year on short thin routes. That experience with Embraer’s products, and the undeniable economic benefits of right-sizing aircraft for the mission, was a key factor in selecting the E2.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.

About Embraer

Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing customer support and services.

Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. About every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.

Indian Ocean Based Air Austral Becomes First French A220 Operator

Emirates Restarts Passenger Services to Mauritius as Island Nation Reopens

Air Mauritius Takes Delivery Of Its First A330neo

Air Peace Selects E195-E2, Becomes First E2 Operator in Africa

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