Air Mauritius is in the throws of planning to switch operating from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport.
With the move, Air Mauritius will switch to a daily operation, flying between Gatwick and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, from the 29th of October 2023 in time for the winter season to commence.
This compares with the current operation at Heathrow airport, which offers five flights a week.
The planned operation is as follows:
| Flight number | Routing | Days of operations | Scheduled time of departure | Scheduled time of arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MK 042 | MRU-LGW | Monday to Sunday | 23:05 | 07:00+1 |
| MK 053 | LGW-MRU | Monday to Sunday | 15:55 | 07:15+1 |
Air Mauritius will operate the route with a mixture of new-generation aircraft – either an Airbus A350-900 or an Airbus A330-900neo being deployed. They are configured in a two-class configuration containing business and economy classes.
According to Gatwick airport, this new direct service is excellent news for travellers, with around 290,000 passengers flying the London-Mauritius route in 2022, a 4% increase in 2019 numbers.
In Quotes
Stephanie Wear, VP of Aviation Development, at Gatwick Airport said:
“Air Mauritius’ arrival at London Gatwick is fantastic news for passengers, providing more competition and flights to a wonderful holiday destination, known for its tropical year-round climate and gorgeous beaches.
“As we continue to welcome new and returning airlines to Gatwick, passengers across London and the South East will benefit from greater options to travel, whether for holidays, business or to visit family and friends.
“Air Mauritius is the latest in a number of airlines looking to operate long-haul routes from Gatwick, which further highlights the strong demand for slots at our airport.”
Krešimir Kučko, CEO, Air Mauritius said:
“In November Air Mauritius, the national airline of the Republic of Mauritius, will be commemorating its 50 years of operations to London which has always been a high-priority destination for both the airline and the country.
“We are proud to begin daily operations to London Gatwick from 29 October. This strategic move allows Air Mauritius to meet increasing demand on this historical route while using its most environmentally friendly types of aircraft, such as the Airbus A350-900 and the A330-900neo.
“We are confident this new service plan will further strengthen our relationship with valued customers from the UK and connecting markets.”
A win for Gatwick Airport.
If you have spare capacity, they will come it seems. With slots being an issue still at Heathrow Airport (be it the cost or being able to obtain them in the first place), Gatwick Airport is in the perfect position to swoop in with a competitive offer to attract vital new routes to important markets.
The move will bring up to 50 long-haul destinations from Gatwick Airport and has easy connectivity to London, thanks to Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink – as well as various coach options.
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Very nice, and makes sense since its a holiday destination, and there is not a need for LHR and its connections. Probably a decent enough amount of connects via LGW. Mainly O&D?
NOW….these lovely slot pairs at LHR must be worth a fortune (tens of millions of dollars) Primetime arrival slots in the morning rush, and nice late afternoon departures that favor North America. Curious to see who get’s them.
These grandfathered slots have become a big pay day over the years.