Air Mauritius takes delivery of its first Airbus A330neo
Air Mauritius has taken delivery of its new generation wide body A330-900 today. This sets a new landmark for Air Mauritius as the first A330neo operator based in the southern hemisphere, and the first airline in the world to operate a combination of both the A350 XWB and A330neo. The National carrier of the Republic of Mauritius will also take delivery of another A330-900 in the coming weeks.
The new Air Mauritius A330neo features 288 seats in a two-class configuration with 28 full-flat business class and 260 economy class seats. The Airspace by Airbus cabin offers more personal space, larger overhead storage bins, advanced cabin lighting and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and WIFI connectivity.
The aircraft will support the airline's network strategy, which includes the strengthening of its long haul service and the development of its regional network. The objective of this strategy is to position Mauritius as a strategic hub for the region. The A330neo will be scheduled mainly on the London route. It will also operate on Geneva (northern summer schedule) India and South East Asian routes and on regional destinations including Johannesburg, Antananarivo and Reunion Island.
The delivery ceremony took place in Toulouse, Airbus ́s headquarters on Wednesday 17th of April.
Air Mauritius CEO, Somas Appavou stated; "I am delighted to welcome our first Airbus A330neo, another milestone in our fleet modernization programme. The addition of two A330neos to our fleet this month, will bring more flexibility and efficiency to our operations while supporting our network strategy. The A330neo offers similar levels of comfort as the A350 XWB, which has received very favourable feedback from our customers. I strongly believe that with the addition of the A330neo to our fleet, Air Mauritius will further reinforce its focus and emphasis on the customer who are at the very core of our business model."