Air Mauritius is seeing a surge in bookings to the island following the reopening of the country’s borders on October 1.

To meet increased passenger demand, the airline is increasing its flights from key source markets.

“The continued increase in the number of bookings on Air Mauritius highlights the confidence that domestic and international travellers have in the national airline. The decision to increase capacity was made after significant interest from countries including the UK, France and South Africa,” said Nilen Vencadasmy, Chairman of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority.

The new services:

• Air Mauritius will, from November 1, operate one daily flight to and from Paris CDG with an Airbus A350-900 aircraft in codeshare with Air France.
• Simultaneously, Air France, in codeshare with Air Mauritius, will also operate a daily flight from Paris CDG to Mauritius as from the same date.
• Also from November 1, Air Mauritius will operate three weekly flights to and from London Heathrow, which will then increase to five weekly flights during the Christmas and New Year peaks (from December 20 to January 15, 2022).
• Continuing its close connection with Africa, Air Mauritius will operate seven weekly flights to Johannesburg using both the Airbus A350-900 and A330-900neo aircraft from November 7. Currently, there are four weekly flights.
• Three daily flights will operate to Réunion from November 1, with a combination of wide-bodied and ATR72-500 aircraft.

With the continued increase in demand and confidence from international travellers, Air Mauritius will soon be adding other routes and connections to its offering.

Ken Arian, CEO of Airport Holdings Limited, the parent company of Air Mauritius, said: “Our new-look fleet, following the recent refinancing of Air Mauritius, allows us to increase our flight capacity for visitors from popular destinations globally.

“Air Mauritius continues to play a vital role in our country’s tourism industry, ensuring passenger flights to and from Mauritius are easily accessible and available. No efforts have been spared in the maintenance of strict health and safety protocols to provide the best experience possible, which has led to the decision to expand the number of flights over the coming season.”

He said the safety and well-being of passengers, crew and ground personnel were the topmost priority of the airline, with strict COVID-19 protocols enforced on all flights.

Sanitary kits containing surgical masks and sanitary gel are offered to all travellers on international flights and all Air Mauritius staff and crew are fully vaccinated.

Arian reiterated that the recent refinancing of the airline had also instilled confidence in those looking for an island getaway, knowing the airline was on a solid financial footing and was able to invest in its customer service offering, as well as new aircraft.