Air Mauritius Orders 3rd ATR 72 to Boost Fleet Stability

Air Mauritius is bolstering its regional fleet with a new ATR 72-600 aircraft and has announced a major maintenance programme for nearly its entire fleet. The moves come as the airline seeks to stabilise operations and repair its image following a period of customer-disrupting delays.

The new ATR 72-600, leased by the airline, is expected to arrive in Mauritius in the coming days. Named “Les Mascareignes” and registered 3B-NCU, the 70-seater will initially serve the Rodrigues route before flying to Réunion.

The aircraft, which has a takeoff weight of 23 tonnes and a range of about 1,370 km, boasts a modernised cabin, improved air conditioning, and a reinforced lighting system.

Fleet Maintenance and Operational Challenges

Air Mauritius Chairman Kishore Beegoo revealed in a message to staff that 11 of the airline’s 12 aircraft are scheduled for heavy C-checks this year, including all four Airbus A350s between September and December 2025.

These extensive inspections are crucial for safety and reliability but temporarily reduce the airline’s operational capacity.

Beegoo highlighted the impact of these checks: “With a long-haul fleet reduced to just eight aircraft, the grounding of a single plane represents a 12.5% reduction in our operational capacity, which directly impacts our ability to serve customers and generate revenue.”

To mitigate this, the airline is “actively looking for a long-haul aircraft for lease to serve as a buffer.”

The chairman also acknowledged the “recurrent disruptions that have caused major inconvenience to our valued customers and consequent damage to our company’s reputation.”

Financial Turnaround and Growth

In a positive development, the airline reported a net profit of 252.7 million MUR (€4.9 million) for the first quarter of 2025-26, a significant turnaround from the 611.8 million MUR (€12.4 million) loss a year prior. This marks the best first-quarter results in nine years.

Air Mauritius also carried a record 403,127 passengers, with a 4.7-point increase in its load factor.

The airline’s board approved the results, with Beegoo noting that the last six months have been dedicated to financial stabilisation and resolving solvency issues.

In addition to the new aircraft, the airline plans to take delivery of a third leased ATR 72-600 by the end of September 2025.

This will replace an older ATR 72-500, bringing the regional fleet to one ATR 72-500 and three ATR 72-600s. The regional ATR 72 fleet is operated by 41 pilots, 30 of whom are Mauritian.

Source: Defi Media