Air Mauritius Won’t Return to Heathrow Before Q2 2027

Air Mauritius will not be able to resume flights to London Heathrow Airport before April 2027, after the Mauritian government confirmed that the airline’s historic slots remain tied up under binding lease agreements. The disclosure was reported by local outlet Défi Media, citing a written parliamentary response from Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

According to the submission, Air Mauritius’ three historic slot pairs at Heathrow are currently leased to Qatar Airways, generating annual revenues of around USD 881,000. While the new government has instructed the airline’s management to assess the feasibility of an immediate return to Heathrow, the prime minister said contractual obligations prevent any reinstatement of services until the lease expires next year, effectively ruling out a return before the second quarter of 2027.

Air Mauritius transferred its London operations from Heathrow to London Gatwick Airport in late October 2023, a strategic shift that has since weighed heavily on the airline’s finances. Parliamentary data show the Gatwick service recorded losses of approximately MUR 920 million (USD 19.8 million) between October 2023 and March 2024. Losses for the 2024/25 financial year are projected to reach MUR 1.7 billion (USD 36.6 million), pushing the cumulative deficit for the route to nearly MUR 2.6 billion (USD 56 million) by March 2025.

In response to the sustained underperformance, Air Mauritius reduced Gatwick frequencies from daily to five weekly flights from May 2025. Schedule data indicate the route is currently operated by an Airbus A350-900, competing directly with British Airways, which serves Mauritius from Heathrow three times weekly using a Boeing 777-200ER.

The decision to move away from Heathrow was approved by the airline’s previous board following recommendations from CAPA Consulting, which received nearly USD 929,000 for strategic reviews conducted between 2018 and 2020. At the time, the consultancy cited limited growth prospects at Heathrow—where Air Mauritius was restricted to three weekly frequencies—and higher operating costs. Gatwick, by contrast, offered the ability to operate daily flights and enter a commercial partnership with easyJet.

With Heathrow slots locked in until at least 2027, Air Mauritius now faces a prolonged period of operating from Gatwick, as policymakers and management reassess the long-term viability of the London market and the airline’s broader European strategy.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com