Air Mauritius selects A350-900s to replace its fleet of A340-300 aircraft

The re-fleeting exercise will take place in a phased manner.

The first two A350-900 planes will be delivered in 2017 through operating leases from AerCap Holdings and the remaining four will be purchased from Airbus, with two aircraft to be delivered in 2019 and the remaining two in 2020.

Air Mauritius has also reserved its right to exercise an option to place additional orders of up to three A350 between 2023 and 2025 on the same terms and conditions that led to the selection of the first four aircraft with Airbus.

“This landmark decision follows a rigorous and transparent evaluation and selection process. These new acquisitions will allow the airline to offer a very attractive product with state of the art seats and in-flight entertainment facilities to meet the expectations of our passengers,”

commented Dass Thomas, Chairman of Air Mauritius. For Andre Viljoen, Chief Executive Officer, “These fuel efficient A350-900s are key to modernizing our fleet and will significantly reduce operational costs.

This aircraft is the game changer we were looking for to improve our products and competitiveness. The A350-900 will enable our customers to enjoy significantly improved comfort levels."

This historical decision follows a series of recent achievements by Air Mauritius, namely, returning to profitability in 2013/2014, achieving 4-STAR Skytrax rating and being voted the leading airline in the Indian Ocean at the World Travel Awards for nine consecutive years.