Madagascar Airlines (MGY, Antananarivo) expects its operations to normalise by the end of this week after reporting disruptions to flights caused by a combination of factors, including the breakdown of a DHC-8-Q400 wet-leased from CemAir (5Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), maintenance issues with existing ATR72s, and the continued delayed delivery of two new ATR72-500s.
In a statement on November 11, the airline said that flight delays had been caused by operational challenges since November 8 following the breakdown of CemAir's Q400 ZS-DHD (msn 4103). It said operations had been reduced to two aircraft until November 13, when a replacement Q400 is expected from CemAir, which in the meantime has provided a 50-seater DHC-8-Q300, ZS-DHA (msn 571).
Madagascar Airlines' in-house ATR72-600 5R-EJB (msn 1248) is also expected to return to service on November 13 after having been in repair with defective landing gear. The airline said that one of its ATR72-500s, 5R-MJF (msn 698), had been grounded needing a replacement engine and this was postponed over funding issues.
Meanwhile, the delivery of two new ATR72-500s continues to be delayed due to supply chain issues.
"By Wednesday, we will have three additional aircraft [i.e., the repaired 5R-EJB, the replacement Q400, and active ATR72-500 5R-EJC (msn 813)] and a fourth CemAir crew to assist with operations. We anticipate gradual improvement and normal operations by Wednesday, continuing through Friday or Saturday. The situation is temporary and not structural," the airline said, adding that passengers with upcoming flights would be offered free rebooking options.
Despite the operational challenges, the airline noted achievements such as an 83% on-time performance between January and October, a 17% capacity increase over last year, a "sharp drop in financial losses", a return to IATA's billing and settlement (BSP) and clearing house (ICH) systems, and a gradual restructuring of the fleet.
CemAir has declined to comment.
As previously reported, Madagascar Airlines intends to operate a simplified fleet of six ATR72-500s by the IATA summer of 2025 in line with its World Bank-backed "Phénix 2030" turnaround strategy which focuses on domestic services. Two new ATR72-600s are due to arrive in early December, delayed from September and October. The airline may have to turn to more ACMI options if they do not arrive by the end of the year, CEO Thierry de Bailleul told ch-aviation recently.
