Jointly Signed Agreement
This significant expansion was announced during the 81st IATA AGM held in New Delhi, where Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and Air Mauritius Chairman Kishor Beegoo jointly signed the agreement. This important agreement was reached during the recently concluded 81st IATA AGM (International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting) in New Delhi. The agreement was signed in the presence of Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and Air Mauritius Chairman Kishor Beegoo.
Both Airlines Will Now Reach These Destinations Together
Under the new partnership, both airlines will now offer passengers better connectivity and single-ticket travel through codeshare flights between India, Mauritius, Réunion, South Africa, and Madagascar.
Air India’s New Codeshare Flights
Cape Town– South Africa Johannesburg– South Africa Antananarivo– Madagascar Air India will place its code ‘AI’ on all these Air Mauritius flights, allowing passengers to travel to their final destination via Mauritius on a single ticket, and their baggage will be transferred to the final destination.
Air Mauritius Will Expand to More Cities in India
Air Mauritius will also place its ‘MK’ designer code on Air India flights. This will provide passengers from Mauritius with connectivity to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Goa.
Easy Connectivity for African Passengers to Several Indian Metropolises
This will provide Indian passengers with easy and direct connectivity to other parts of Africa via Mauritius, and African passengers with easy and direct connectivity to several major Indian cities.
A Solid Step Towards Expanding Air India’s Global Network
Campbell Wilson (CEO, Air India) said: “Tourism and trade between India, Mauritius, and Southern Africa are constantly growing. This partnership is another solid step towards expanding Air India’s global network, providing our customers with more convenient and efficient travel options.”
Mauritius Passengers Will Easily Reach These Cities in India
Kishor Beegoo (Chairman, Air Mauritius) said: “India is an important market for us. This partnership will allow our passengers to easily reach more cities in India. At the same time, passengers from India will also benefit from experiencing the rich cultural heritage of Mauritius, as well as visiting Réunion, South Africa, and Madagascar.”
Time Saving, Described as a “Practical and Time-Saving” Option
The aviation industry and travellers have responded positively to this strategic partnership. Travellers have described it as a “practical and time-saving” option. Significant Surge in International Bookings
Arjun Malhotra, a Delhi-based travel agent, said: “Now people will be able to reach destinations like Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Madagascar on a single ticket. This could lead to a significant surge in international bookings.” The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority has also described this move as “giving a new impetus to the tourism sector”.
Follow-up: What’s Air India’s Next Step?
This partnership is part of Air India’s ongoing global network expansion strategy. It is likely that Air India will soon announce codeshare partnerships in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific regions as well.
Focus on These Potential Areas
Flight connections to Kenya and Tanzania Interline agreements with Singapore and Indonesia Route re-optimization after the potential integration of Vistara and AI Side Angle: Tourism, trade and Indian diaspora will be the biggest beneficiaries
Expectation of a Surge in Tourism
Honeymooners, families, and budget travellers from India to Mauritius and further into Africa will now find cheaper and more convenient flights than before. Stronger Trade Relations
Import-export relations between South Africa and India are already strong. This connectivity could prove to be a golden bridge for business travellers in the FMCG, pharma, and tech sectors.
Benefit to the Indian Diaspora
People of Indian origin living in Mauritius and Réunion will now have more convenient flight options to visit their relatives in India. Approximately 894,500 people of Indian origin live in Mauritius, representing about 70% of the country’s total population. The Indian community is heavily concentrated in cities such as Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, and Curepipe. According to the 2022 census, the number of people of Indian origin in South Africa is approximately 1,697,506, which is about 2.74% of the country’s total population. There is a significant Indian community in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg, and Pretoria.
