Air Mauritius (MK, Mauritius) took delivery of its first A330-900neo on April 18. The Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-72 powered aircraft is equipped with 260 seats in Economy and 28 seats in Business Class. It is the first of two units the Mauritian national carrier will lease from Air Lease Corporation.
Following TAP Air Portugal (TP, Lisbon) and Air Sénégal (HC, Dakar Blaise Diagne International) (whose A330neo is operated by Hi Fly Malta (3L, Malta International)), Air Mauritius is the third operator of the type worldwide.
Initially, it plans to use the aircraft on its routes from Mauritius to Antananarivo, Bengaluru International, Chennai, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, Kuala Lumpur International, London Heathrow, Mumbai International, Singapore Changi, and St. Denis de la Réunion.
According to a news report by L'Express, the six-month delay in delivery of the two aircraft has forced the carrier to extend the leases on two A340-300s that were supposed to be retired in November and December last year. Defimedia has reported that Air Mauritius and ALC are currently in negotiations regarding potential compensation for the financial losses caused to Air Mauritius as a result of the delivery delay. The second A330neo is now expected to arrive later this month.
Air Mauritius currently operates two A350-900s, three A340-300s, two A330-200s, two A319-100s, and three ATR72-500s. Another two A350-900s are due later this year with the final fifth and sixth A350s having been deferred to 2023.
In other news, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol) and Air Mauritius have announced that their joint venture operation between Mauritius and Amsterdam will be suspended from October 27, 2019. The Mauritian carrier operates a 2x weekly, year-round A340-300 service on the route while KLM operated 3x weekly using B787-9s during Northern winters 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 but has cancelled its services during the next winter season. Air France (AF, Paris CDG) and Air Mauritius will, however, continue to cooperate.
