Air Mauritius wants to halve its fleet to rebalance its finances
Air Mauritius has been under provisional administration since April 2020. Hardly impacted by Covid-19, it could accumulate a three-year loss of 239 million USD by March 2021. Pending the publication of the rescue plan scheduled for June, management is working on the financial rebalancing strategy.
From March 1, 2021, Air Mauritius (MK) is only expected to operate a fleet of 7 aircraft, after the reduction of its long-haul fleet. On January 29, Airfinance Journal revealed that it had consulted an internal document, which stipulates that the Mauritian national carrier will only use three ATR72-500s and four long-haul Airbuses.
According to Planespotters, MK currently has 15 aircraft including 10 long-haul aircraft (two A330-200s, two A330neo, two A340-300 and four A350-900). Its order book includes two other A350-900s. The rest of its fleet consists of three ATR72-500s and two A319-100s. Of these planes, only 6 are owned: two A340-200, one A330-200, two A319-100 and one ATR72-500. The remainder being exploited in rental.
Having no details on the widebody model that will be selected, Airfinance Journal recalls that in November 2020, the Air Mauritius chief operating officer said the carrier was looking to rebuild its fleet around the A320neo and A350.
Indradev Buton added that he was likely to phase out all of its Airbus A330-200s as part of its restructuring plan. In July 2020, the company put up for sale 5 Airbus (two A340-300, one A330-200 and two A319-100), to replenish its coffers. To date, these aircraft remain in its fleet. But according to ch-aviation, MK has reached an agreement with an Indian company, whose identity remains unknown, for the sale of the 2 A340-300s and the 2 A319-100s. Air Mauritius has been under the provisional administration of Grant Thornton since April 22, 2020. Last June, the State pledged to inject 9 billion rupees (225.5 million USD) into the company's coffers as part of a support plan. According to Sattar Hajee Abdoula, one of its administrators, the public pavilion, weakened by the health crisis of Covid-19, could lose around 239 million dollars during the three cumulative years from March 2018 to March 2021. The publication of the rescue plan is expected next June.
