Madagascar Airlines returns to Reunion Island with ATR 72 flights in December
The carrier is resuming scheduled regional operations to Roland-Garros airport, connecting Reunion, Sainte-Marie, and Antananarivo twice weekly.
Madagascar Airlines is restoring scheduled regional operations to Reunion Roland-Garros Airport. Prior to regular commercial services starting on 16 December 2026, an initial ATR 72 flight is scheduled to touch down on 3 October 2026 alongside a promotional event in Saint-Paul.
The service will operate twice weekly with a 70-seat turboprop, linking Reunion directly to Sainte-Marie before continuing to Antananarivo. This itinerary provides a direct link between Reunion and Sainte-Marie (Nosy Boraha) while feeding the capital. The carrier estimates an annual capacity of 14,560 seats on the route, although specific days and flight schedules have not yet been disclosed.
The service signifies an operational restart after international flights were suspended in late 2023, leaving Roland-Garros unserved by the airline's own fleet since 2024 outside of codeshare partnerships. Additionally, the national carrier is slated to revert to its historic brand Air Madagascar on 31 October as it gradually rebuilds its regional network.
Why it matters for your training
This route restart highlights the operational recovery of regional ATR 72 operations across the southwestern Indian Ocean, a key indicator for regional crew rosters and turboprop networks.
Sources
Article rewritten with the help of AI from the cited sources.