Air Mauritius

Air Mauritius is the national airline of Mauritius, based in Port Louis - the capital of Mauritius. Its main base comprises of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), Mauritius. The airline provides domestic as well as international services, operating as many 80 flights per week. The symbol of Air Mauritius is phaeton rubicola or Paille-en-Queue, a fish-eating tropical bird. The airline appeared on the Mauritius Stock Exchange list in 1995. It employs a staff of over 2,600 people and has tied up with international airlines, for which it performs varied services.

History
Air Mauritius was founded on June 1967, by Amedee Maingard, primarily as a handling agent. The airline started its operations in August 1972, with a Piper-Navajo aircraft, on a flight from Mauritius to Reunion. Its international operations commenced in the year 1977. In 1998, Air Mauritius was approved as a JAR (Joint Aviation Requirements) 145 Maintenance Organisation, by the French Direction Generale de L'Aviation Civile (DGAC). This means that Air Mauritius can perform maintenance on aircraft and components belonging to the member states of the Joint Aviation Authorities. The company can also sell its services to all the other airlines in the region that require a JAR 145 release.

Destinations Covered
Air Mauritius serves all the major domestic destinations, like Plaisance, Plaine Magnien and Rodrigues in Mauritius. Apart from that, it flies to Nairobi, Antananarivo, Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in Africa. In Europe, it serves destinations like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and U.K. In India, Air Mauritius flies to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore. The airline also flies to countries like Australia, China, Malaysia, Singapore and UAE.

Fleet Status
Air Mauritius operates with a very modern fleet. As on July 2006, its fleet consisted of 5 Airbus A340-300, 2 Airbus A319-100, 2 Boeing 767 ER, 1 ATR72-500, 2 ATR 42-500, and 3 Bell Jet Rangers. The last built Airbus A340- 300 was delivered to Mauritius in December 2006. Presently, Air Mauritius flies some 850,000 passengers every year, to about 30 destinations.

Achievements
In March 2007, Air Mauritius claimed the distinction of becoming the first southern African country airline that operated an all-Airbus fleet on long and medium haul routes. It also holds the honor of being the first airline to fly an A340 in the Southern atmosphere. The air service serves as the chief player in the field of cargo, resulting in the company�s increased investment in cargo storage facilities.

Visa Linkage
Since the Mauritius government grants a visa only for duration of 60 days to Indian citizens on arrival, Air Mauritius only carries Indian passengers with a confirmed return booking within the fixed period of 60 days. In order to fly for a stay beyond 60 days, the passenger needs to apply to the Mauritius High Commission in Delhi, prior to departure, for an extended visa.