► MAURITIUS: Air Seychelles to operate select A330 service to Mauritius in December 2012 & January 2013.

Air Seychelles (HM) will operate a limited airbus A330-200 service between Mahé and Port Louis, Mauritius during the period December 2012 to January 2013 though only on selected dates. The route is currently operated with an Airbus A320.

■ MAURITIUS: Situation improving at Air Mauritius despite Q2 $11million loss.

Mauritian carrier Air Mauritius (MK) has posted a pretax loss of USD11.4million (EUR8.9 million) for H1 (Q2) of its 2012/2013 Financial Year. 

► AUSTRALIA: Air Mauritius increases Perth to 3x weekly from April 2013.

Air Mauritius(MK) will, from 1 April 2013, increase their Port Louis, Mauritius - Perth, Australia frequency from two to three times weekly, using an Airbus A330-200.

► KENYA: Italy's Livingston Compagnia Aerea announces Kenya, Zanzibar, Mauritius for Winter 2012/2013.

Italy's Livingston Compagnia Aerea (JN), successor to the now defunct Italian airlines Livingston Energy Flight and Windjet (IV), has outlined plans for its proposed Winter 2012/2013 network.

► MAURITIUS: Emirates to go 14x weekly as Air Mauritius, Air Austral & Air Madagascar band together to survive.

Bucking the ongoing trend amongst European carriers of reducing their frequencies to the Indian Ocean island, Dubai based mega-carrier, Emirates (EK), has announced an increase in its weekly frequencies from 11x weekly to 12x weekly from 28 October 2012, with the route going 14x weekly from 28 November 2012.

Emirates: Dubai, UAE - Port Louis, Mauritius

- EK3705/3706 operate Day 23456 from 28 October 2012 until 27 November 2012

• EK701 DXB 0310 – 0940 MRU 773 | 2457
• EK3703 DXB 0310 – 0940 MRU 773 | 136
• EK3705 DXB 1000 – 1645 MRU 773 | 1234567

• EK3706 MRU 1820 – 0110+1 DXB 773 | 1234567
• EK702 MRU 2320 – 0555+1 DXB 773 | 2457
• EK3704 MRU 2320 – 0555+1 DXB 773 | 136

Source [Airline Route]

► MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius resumes direct Durban flights over Christmas period.

Mauritian carrier Air Mauritius (MK) will, between 21 December 2012 and 13 January 2013, operate a twice weekly Durban night flight on a Friday & Sunday. No mention as yet has been made as to what equipment they will operate on the route, though it is likely to be an Airbus A319. 

Whilst currently operating directly to Durban, Air Mauritius will axe the route from 23 October 2012.

Air Mauritius: Port Louis, Mauritius - Durban, South Africa

- Effective 21 December 2012 until 13 January 2012

• MK8845 MRU 2045 - 2305 DUR A319 | 57
• MK8846 DUR 2355 - 0545+1 MRU A319 | 57

Source [Amadeus]

► MAURITIUS: British Airways changes departure times from Spring 2013.

British Airways (BA) will, with effect from 31 March 2013, switch its 3x weekly London Gatwick - Mauritius Boeing 777-200 flight to an afternoon departure from its current evening departure. The resultant inbound sector Mauritius - London Gatwick will switch to a daytime flight.

British Airways Boeing 777 in Mauritius (NAS)

British Airways: London Gatwick, UK - Port Louis, Mauritius

- Effective 31 March 2013

• BA2063 LGW1500 – 0545+1MRU 777 246
• BA2062 MRU0805 – 1705LGW 777 357

Source [Airline Route]

► MAURITIUS: Despite record passenger numbers, Air Mauritius still in the red for Q1 2012.

Despite having increased passenger numbers by 7.4 % on Q1 2011 to 292'449, persistently high global oil prices coupled with the Eurozone crisis have eaten away at Air Mauritius' (MK) profits for the first quarter of the 2012 Financial Year. Overall the company posted a net loss of €10.4million - a 12% improvement on the airlines' performance in 2011 - which it claims, would have been significantly less at just €2.4million had it not been for a weaker Euro/US Dollar exchange rate.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SAA boosts flights to Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Nairobi from October; capacity to Mauritius from December.

South African Airways (SA) will, with effect from October 2012 (September in Nairobi's case), be introducing added flights to its Johannesburg - Sao Paulo, Brazil,  Johannesburg - Mumbai, India and Johannesburg - Nairobi, Kenya services with Johannesburg - Mauritius likely to see an increase in aircraft capacity closer to the festive season in December.

► FRANCE: Air France announces various Africa changes for Winter 2012.

French carrier Air France (AF) has announced various operational equipment changes to its Africa network, effective 28 October 2012 (i.e Winter 2012).

Air France Equipment Changes (Effective 28 October 2012)

• Paris CDG – Bangui (Central African Republic)1 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces A340-300
• Paris CDG – Niamey (Niger) – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 4 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces mix of A330/340

Other Equipment changes announced previously: 

Air France 777 over the Sahara (Ken Iwelumo)

• Paris CDG – Antananarivo (Madagascar) 3-class Boeing 777-200ER operating, replaces A340-300 in W12.
• Paris CDG – Douala (Cameroon) – Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) Boeing 777-300ER replaces -200ER, daily operation
• Paris CDG – Mauritius 3-class “COI” Boeing 777-300ER operating, replaces 747-400 in NW11

In Northern Winter 2012/13 season, Air France’s Airbus A340-300 and Boeing 747-400 operational frequencies continue to be reduced on following routes:

Airbus A340-300

• Paris CDG – Bamako (Mali)1 Daily
• Paris CDG – Cotonou (Benin) 5 weekly
• Paris CDG – Lome (Togo) 4 weekly

Boeing 747-400

• Paris Orly – St. Denis de la Reunion 3 weekly

 Read More Here [Airline Route]

► AUSTRALIA: Bomb scare on Air Mauritius flight ex-Melbourne.

Press reports out of Australia state that Air Mauritius flight MK943, en-route over south Australia, from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport to Port Louis, Mauritius, was today (23 May) forced to turn round and return to Melbourne, after the discovery in the aft cabin, of a soft drink can with the word "bomb" scrawled on it.

Air Mauritius A340 "3B-NAU" (Axel J)

The aircraft, 3B-NAU, touched down at Melbourne again at 14h55 (Melbourne time) with all 197 passengers disembarking under the supervision of Australian authorities, before police conducted a thorough search of the plane. 

One report states that "a man was detained by federal police", though has not yet been corroborated.

The flight will now operate as MK3943 on 24 May leaving Melbourne at 11h30 (Melbourne time) and reaching Mauritius at 16h55 (Mauritius time).

■ BOTSWANA: Open Skies deal signed; will Air Botswana survive more competition?

The Botswana Government has recently signed two Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) with Mauritius in Gaborone agreements bringing to nine the number of BASAs signed - the other eight being with Belgium, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

► MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius increases seats despite rumours of serious trouble ahead.

Following in the footsteps of Air Seychelles who dropped London, Paris, Milan and Rome before entering into a strategic alliance with Etihad Airways, Air Mauritius has axed 7 International destinations with effect from May 2012 (From 31st May 12: Milan, Sydney, Melbourne and Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva and Durban.from 31 October 2012), whilst increasing seating capacity on its remaining flights by 3% to 1,943,946 seats from 01 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, in an attempt to consolidate its market base.

In a statement on its Facebook, Air Mauritius stated:

The following destinations have been retained: Paris, London, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, St Denis, St Pierre, Antananarivo, Rodrigues, Perth, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

The following additional weekly flights have been added:
With effect from April 2012:

• Mumbai + 1 frequency to reach 4 frequencies

With effect from beginning of June 2012:

• Perth + 1 frequency to reach 2 frequencies

With effect from end of October 2012:

• Nairobi + 1 frequency to reach 3 frequencies
• Johannesburg + up to 7 frequencies to reach up to 14 frequencies
• Cape Town + 1 frequency to reach 3 frequencies Antananarivo + 2 frequencies to reach 6 frequencies
• Kuala Lumpur 3 nonstop frequencies

However, rumours still abound that the Mauritian carrier, Air Mauritius (MK), is in for rough next few months. Recently, the Mauritius Ministry of Tourism signed a major strategic partnership with Emirates to bring traffic via Dubai on its 11x-weekly services to the island in a move that will put even greater pressure on the airline. This comes at a time when even the larger European carriers have cut frequencies to Port Louis, given the economic slowdown seen in Europe.

Sources claim that recently the airline sold its headquarters building, its hotel interests as well as its helicopter division in order to remain buoyant for the short term, though for how much longer is uncertain.

Watch This Space.

► MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius to increase Madagascar and Kenya from 28 October 2012.

Air Mauritius (MK) will boost its winter-time service to Nairobi & Antananarivo effective 28 October 2012.

Mauritius – Antananarivo Service increases from 4 to 6 weekly, with operational aircraft changes

• MK288 MRU1435 – 1515TNR 343 247
• MK288 MRU1435 – 1530TNR 319 135
• MK289 TNR1655 – 1940MRU 343 247
• MK289 TNR1700 – 1940MRU 319 135

Service until 27OCT12 operates 4 weekly with A340-300

Mauritius – Nairobi Service increases from 2 weekly to 3 weekly

• MK534 MRU0855 – 1215NBO 319 246
• MK535 NBO1305 – 1820MRU 319 246

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]