Today, at Farnborough International Airshow, Air Mauritius announced its decision to replace its existing fleet of A340-300s with six new generation Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

This major decision is Step 5 of the 7-Step Recovery and Sustainability plan to re-fleet the national carrier.

The A350-900 will offer enhanced passenger experience and comfort, operating cost efficiency and technological innovation.

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, Air Mauritius.

Air Mauritius is the national carrier of the Republic of Mauritius.

Created in 1967, it currently operates a fleet of four A340-300, two A340-300E, two A330-200, two A319-100 and two ATR72-500.

For Andre Viljoen, chief executive, Air Mauritius:  “These fuel efficient A350-900s are key to modernising 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 historic decision follows a series of recent achievements by Air Mauritius, namely, returning to profitability in 2013/2014.

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Air Mauritius is considered the Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards.