Located on the south-eastern coast of Mauritius, the country's only airport, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, is Mauritius' main gateway. Every year, and for a decade now, Mauritius' airport has been handling up to three million people. Despite its small size compared to other major airports on the African continent, the SSR airport is ranked second only to Casablanca in Morocco in the latest ranking of the best airports in Africa.
Safety, convenience, speed and duty free shopping are the ingredients that have made Plaisance Airport what it is today. Airport of Mauritius Co. Ltd (AML) is the owner and operator of the airport and the Government of Mauritius is the major shareholder of AML.
Structurally, the airport in Mauritius closely resembles a palm tree. A tropical plant that grows in the country. This new structure is connected to the existing terminal. The new terminal, costing US$306 million, is part of the "Mauritius Sustainable Island" concept. Environmental and ecological aspects taken into account include the use of solar energy collected by photovoltaic cells, the recovery of rainwater, the integration of nature at the heart of the building and the integration of thermo-insulated facades to reduce heat gain. The terminal covers an area of 57,000 square metres and is equipped with five gates with air bridges, including one compatible with the large Airbus A380, check-in counters for departing passengers, immigration counters and baggage carousels.
Passenger numbers have increased significantly in recent years, reaching four million passengers in 2017. As a result, Mauritius should be ready to have the infrastructure in place to accommodate up to 10 million passengers in the coming years.
AML wants to transform Sir Seewoossagur Ramgoolam Airport. The objective is to optimise the potential of the region. Long neglected, the airport region and the South in general are becoming a real pole of attraction. After Mon Trésor Smart City, the Mahébourg Tourist Village project and Plaisance City, it is the turn of Airport City to be added to the list. Piloted by Airports of Mauritius Ltd (AML), this project proposes a range of activities that will transform the Mauritius airport into a high value-added transit hub. Several serious studies show that the airport has the potential to become a regional hub.
In June 2016, a call for proposals was launched for the creation of a large shopping centre that AML wanted to erect in the airport area. The location chosen for the Airport Mall is only a few minutes away from the airport and can be served by shuttle buses to and from the airport. The location is opposite the Holiday Inn and the land on which Omnicane's Smart City, Mon Trésor City, is located. Covering an area of 33.6 acres, this shopping mall is expected to help position Mauritius as a leading shopping destination for the region.
In an international airport, when there is a lot of traffic, security procedures are sometimes slowed down. To make sure you don't miss your flight, a good tip is to present yourself at the Air Mauritius check-in counter 3 hours before your departure.
Business Class passengers can check in at a special counter available at all airports except Reunion and Rodrigues.
Air Mauritius takes security very seriously. Therefore, we kindly request all our passengers to accept the security checks prior to boarding. Any passenger refusing a security check will unfortunately not be allowed to board the aircraft.
Please note that upon check-in from Mauritius, Business Class passengers and Kestrelflyer Elite cardholders have access to private lounges.
Subject to seat availability, if you hold an Economy Class ticket, you may apply for upgrade to Business Class at SSR International Airport in Mauritius (for an additional fee).
Please note that…
To secure your luggage, a plastic packing service is available. Think about it!
For the history, it is necessary to go back to 1942, when Mauritius was then a colony of the British Crown, the government decided to build a small airport at Plaine Magnien near the village of Mahébourg. The airport was used to import goods from the UK and its colonies, as well as for exports. At the time the airport was used as a military base for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. The Mauritius Airport operations started just after the Second World War, which gave a boost to the Mauritian economy. 30 years later, on 10 September 1972, a first flight to Rodrigues Island took place between Plaisance and Plaine Corail. The aircraft, a Twin Otter (3B-NAB) was replaced with time with twin turboprops including the ATR 42-300 and the ATR 42-500.
Over the years, work has been undertaken on the site at Plaisance. For the first time, in 1986, infrastructure work was done to accommodate larger aircraft. A new terminal was built with walkways to accommodate the expected increase in traffic, a larger car park attached to the new building and customs for international connections. In 2013, a new passenger terminal was inaugurated.