A flood of extra airline capacity is being added to Mauritius before the end of the year. These extra seats and a general improvement in consumer confidence should help to drive business over December and encourage more forward bookings for travel in 2022.
Indian Ocean Island specialists have welcomed the introduction of daily flight from Johannesburg by Air Mauritius from November 1 and the start of a twice-weekly service on the route by SAA from November 21; see here.
While MK and SAA’s extra flights reflect pent-up demand from the South African market, there is still capacity at South Africans’ favourite resort hotels to cater for last-minute requests for travel over the peak summer holidays.
SAA’s new service is scheduled to operate from November 21 on Wednesdays and Sundays, departing from Johannesburg at 09h45, with the return flight departing Mauritius at 15h45.
BA Comair has also scheduled more capacity over the summer peak, adding a third weekly flight on a Thursday (to its Tuesday and Saturday flights). All three flights to start from November 30. See details here.
FlySafair will launch its twice-weekly first international flights to the island on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from December 11. See here.
Early visitor stats
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) said the destination’s reopening was going “very well”, with 2 453 passengers from South Africa arriving on the island October 1-18. Over the two-and-a-half week period, 34 961 passenger entries were recorded in total.
The MTPA said hotel partners were happy with the bookings, which were expected to increase in November and peak in December. “Passengers are going through the Covid-19 safety protocol at the airport and at the hotels with no issues,” said the organisation.
