The French overseas department of Reunion, located in the southern Indian Ocean, is a small, isolated archipelago with strong relations to France.
Its airline provides many weekly direct flights to the French mainland; nevertheless, did you know that the airline considered purchasing an all-economy aircraft to take people to this island paradise? Reunion is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and approximately 110 nautical miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Mauritius.
History of Air Austral, Reunion’s flag carrier
Air Austral, formed as Air Reunion in December 1974, provides scheduled flights from Reunion to Metropolitan France, South Africa, Thailand, and other destinations in the Indian Ocean. The airline has eight aircraft in its fleet and approximately 900 employees. The airline is a member of the Vanilla Alliance and operates a subsidiary called Ewa Air.
Roland Garros Airport (RUN) is located on the fringes of the department’s principal town, Saint-Denis de la Reunion, and was named after the renowned French aviator Roland Garros, a Saint Denis local. The airport serves multiple airlines, including Air Austral, Air France, Air Mauritius, Corsair International, Etihad Airways (charter), Ewa Air, and French Bee.
Air Reunion, as it was originally known, was formed in the 1970s by a local businessman named Gérard Ethève and was the first commercial airline in the region. Initially providing regional services to Sainte Marie and Mayotte, the airline was subsequently purchased by a number of municipal authorities and banks.
In the 1990s, Air Reunion was rebranded Air Austral. The carrier then bought its first Boeing 737-500, followed by another 737-700 and 737-300QC, allowing it to concentrate on passenger and cargo operations.
In 2003, the airline inaugurated its first long-haul service, linking Reunion to Paris. This was accomplished by obtaining two Boeing 777-200ERs, which resulted in new operations to Marseille and Lyon later that decade.
By 2009, the airline was flying high, having launched additional services connecting Reunion to Sydney and Noumea (additional Caledonia). That November, the airline revealed plans for an 840-seat Airbus A380 with all-economy seating for its Paris-Reunion routes.
A whole economy Airbus A380 connects Paris to Reunion.
Could you imagine that? While the Airbus A380 has been popular with several large airlines, like Emirates, due to its capacity to offer a variety of densities, this would have been the first time we’d seen an all-economy Airbus A380. Air Austral was looking to acquire two economy-configured aircraft, as its present trips were nearly full with smaller Boeing 777s.
If the idea had been carried out, it would have been the first double-decker aircraft to offer an all-economy class arrangement, with 840 seats available. Air Austral had anticipated to operate Airbus A380 flights by 2014;
however, the airline had financial challenges throughout the decade, resulting in the cancellation of the A380 purchase and the cancelation of numerous routes, including Reunion to Sydney and Noumea (New Caledonia).
Initially, several airlines designed the Airbus A380 in a mixed configuration with an average capacity of 500 people.
However, Air Austral’s effort at an all-economy layout would have elevated the no-frills approach to new heights, dwarfing the all-economy design seen on Cebu Air, Ryanair, and easyJet. At the Paris Air Show in 2009, Gerard Etheve, the airline’s founder and president, stated:
“We are convinced that planes with low-cost tickets will help explode traffic figures,” its creator and president, Gerard Etheve, told Reuters. It stated that the massive people carrier was intended to capitalize on China and India’s growing economies.
The A380 is ideal for high-density routes. We currently handle 550 persons at the airports. Handling another 200 won’t be difficult.”
Cancelling the all-economy Airbus A380 order.
Operating one of the world’s longest ‘domestic’ flights on the Air Austral Airbus A380 would have been an interesting sight.
However, in 2012, the airline announced that it will cancel its purchase for the iconic aircraft. While the all-economy class configuration would have given the carrier a huge cost-per-seat advantage over its competitors, the airline was not in the best position to proceed with the order.
Despite initial setbacks, the airline collaborated with HiFly on charter flights between Metropolitan France and Reunion.
Where can you fly with Air Austral from Reunion today?
Air Austral’s fortunes have continued to improve, and it now offers direct flights from Reunion to Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Dzaoudzi, Johannesburg-O. R. Tambo, Mahé, Mauritius, Moroni, Nosy Be, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Toamasina. The airline has direct competition on the following routes:
| Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) |
|
|---|---|
| Paris Orly (ORY) |
|
| Port Louis, Mauritius (MRU) |
|
| Antananarivo, Madagasgar (TNR) |
|
| Dzaoudzi, Mayotte (DZA) |
|
This leaves the airline as the only operator on the following routes from Reunion:
- Antsiranana, Madagascar (Die)
- Johannesburg O.R Tambo, South Africa (JNB
- Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ); Moroni, Comoros (HAH).
- Nosy Be, Madagascar (NOS)
- Toamasina, Madagascargar (TMM).
Air Austral’s previously terminated services included Sydney, Bordeau, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse, Chennai, and Noumea.
Air Austral also serves Mauritius from Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located on the southern extremity of the island of Saint Pierre. The distance between RUN and ZSE is about 51 miles by road and 30 miles by air.
Pierrefonds Airport is the smallest of the island’s two airports, being 60 feet (18 meters) high. It has a single runway, 15/33, with an asphalt surface of 6,890 feet by 148 feet (2,100 meters by 45 meters).
The airline’s second humanitarian trip this week delivered additional disaster help in the aftermath of Cyclone Batsirai.
A glance of the Air Austral fleet.
Air Austral currently has a modest fleet of seven aircraft: three Boeing 777-300s, one Boeing 787-8, and three Airbus A220-300s.
A look at the Air Austral fleet
Today, Air Austral operates a modest fleet of seven aircraft: three Boeing 777-300, one Boeing 787-8, and three Airbus A220-300.
| Aircraft type | Aircraft registration | Aircraft serial number (MSN) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777-300ER | F-OREU | 37434 |
|
| Boeing 777-300ER | F-OLRD | 61602 |
|
| Boeing 777-300ER | F-OLRE | 61736 |
|
| Boeing 787-8 | F-OLRC | 34510 |
|
| Airbus A220-300 | F-OLAV | 55106 |
|
| Airbus A220-300 | F-OMER | 55116 |
|
| Airbus A220-300 | F-OTER | 55125 |
|
The airline’s subsidiary, Ewa Air, a French airline based in Mayotte, owns 52.3%. The airline started operations in 2013 with a fleet of three planes. It is controlled by three significant shareholders: Air Austral, the Mayotte Chamber of Commerce (22.7%), and Ylang Invest (25%).
Ewa Air operates two ATR 72-600s and one Boeing 737-800, serving eight destinations in the Comoros, Reunion, Madagascar, Mayotte, Mozambique, and Tanzania (seasonal).
Réunion Airport Roland Garros (Run)
Roland Garros Airport, formerly known as Gillot Airport, is located in Saint-Marie, 3.8 miles (7.0 kilometers) east of the island’s main hub and administrative capital, Saint Denise.
The city has a population of approximately 320,000. Air Austal’s headquarters are located on the airport grounds, and the airport’s height is approximately 66 feet (20 meters) above sea level. There are two paved runways.
12/30
- 10,499 feet by 148 feet (3,200 meters x 45 meters)
14/32
- 8,760 feet by 148 feet (2,670 meters x 45 meters)
Within the aviation community, the airport is recognized for handling the world’s three longest domestic flight routes: to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris Orly (ORY), and Marseille Provence Airport (MRS).