Air Mauritius: 2 Planes Grounded, Board Discounts Spark Outrage

Air Mauritius is currently grappling with significant operational hurdles involving multiple aircraft. One of its leased A330-200 planes, named Blue Bay, has been taken out of service for several weeks, and potentially even months, due to a critical issue with one of its engines.

The engine has reportedly reached the end of its operational life and requires replacement. Finding a suitable replacement engine for this aircraft has proven to be a complex task.

According to an official from Air Mauritius, “The engines have a specific cycle they must adhere to, and one of those mounted on this aircraft has reached the end of its cycle and therefore needs to be replaced.

We have been searching for an engine compatible with this aircraft for a few weeks, but we are struggling to find one.”

Recently, a suitable engine was located in the United Arab Emirates, and the airline’s technical manager is expected to travel there shortly to assess the engine’s condition.

The Blue Bay was previously grounded at Mumbai Airport for an extended period due to a malfunctioning engine that also required replacement.

In that instance, Air Mauritius engineers faced a similar challenge, taking weeks to secure a suitable replacement engine.

In addition to the issues with the Blue Bay, another Air Mauritius aircraft, an A350-900 named Morne Brabant, suffered a mechanical failure in Paris on September 24.

Passengers scheduled to depart that afternoon were informed they would instead need to report to Charles de Gaulle Airport the following day for a delayed departure initially set for 8:35 PM.

Unfortunately, the flight was further postponed to 11:35 PM before being cancelled altogether, much to the dismay of passengers who felt their vacation time in Mauritius had been compromised.

Eventually, they were able to board a different aircraft, the Pieter Both, for departure on Thursday at 1:20 PM, while Morne Brabant took off later that afternoon.

The airline is also under scrutiny due to a controversy involving ticket discounts provided to its board members.

On September 26, Air Mauritius released a statement addressing public concerns raised by Labour Party MP Shakeel Mohamed on social media regarding a significant 90% discount on tickets to Paris for December 19 and 23.

These tickets were reportedly allocated to Jitendra Bissessur’s children, Bissessur being a board member and the CEO of the Mauritius Investment Corporation, which holds a 49% stake in Airport Holdings Ltd, the parent company of Air Mauritius.

This revelation sparked a public debate about the privileges afforded to board members. In its response, Air Mauritius clarified that the tickets bestowed upon the board members are governed by strict and established guidelines.

The airline also detailed that while previous board members enjoyed lifetime free tickets, this practice was abolished in 2021.

Currently, board members are entitled to 50% of the annual ticket allocation they previously received, and these tickets are only available during their tenure.

These new policies are part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and aligning with industry best practices.

Air Mauritius further emphasized that all travel-related data concerning individuals is heavily protected under strict data protection laws, specifically the Information and Communication Technology Act, stating that “disclosure of personal information is a violation of data protection laws.”

Source: l’Express