Air Mauritius announced the introduction of two new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, long-term operating lease from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), in September and October 2018 in replacement of two A340-300 aircraft whose leases will expire in November and December 2018.
This decision follows a thorough evaluation process and accelerates the fleet renewal program of the airline with another state of the art aircraft.
The A330-900 aircraft, which has been officially launched in July 2014, is powered by two new generation Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines. The aircraft is also equipped with a new cabin interior design, high-span wings and sharklets, as well as new systems. The aircraft consumes at least 20% less fuel as compared to the current A340-300 enhanced aircraft.
The A330-900 aircraft will have a similar cabin layout as the A350-900 aircraft and will be configured in a two-class layout with 291 seats (28 business and 263 economy class seats) with full-flat seats in business class, new seats in economy, new in-flight entertainment systems as well as onboard WiFi.
The replacement of the two A340-300 by the A330-900 aircraft is key to modernizing the fleet of Air Mauritius and will offer enhanced passenger experience and comfort, operating efficiencies and technological innovation.
The new aircraft will also allow Air Mauritius to improve its products and competitiveness in the current dynamic and challenging market environment. The two aircraft will initially serve the medium haul routes of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Delhi and Perth.
Moreover, based on its future fleet requirements, Air Mauritius is maintaining its order of two A350-900 aircraft for 2019 and has decided to reschedule the delivery of the last two A350-900 aircraft, initially planned for 2020, to 2023.
At the same time, Air Mauritius is upgrading the cabin interiors of its existing fleet with a view to meet customer expectations and consolidate its status as the leading airline of the region. The airline’s existing aircraft will thus be equipped with new seats, new inflight entertainment systems and onboard WiFi. The revamp of the cabin interiors is planned to be completed by June 2018.