IndiGo, India’s largest carrier by fleet size and market share, has announced the addition of island nation Mauritius to its network, with nonstop flights from Bengaluru launching later this year.
IndiGo to Mauritius!
Starting 19th November 2024, IndiGo will operate four-flights-a-week between Bengaluru (BLR) and Mauritius (MRU) with the following schedule:
- Bengaluru-Mauritius
- Departure time: 03:20
- Arrival time: 07:45
- Flight time: 5 hours and 55 minutes
- Flight number: 6E1861
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Mauritius-Bengaluru
- Departure time: 09:30
- Arrival time: 16:45
- Flight time: 5 hours and 45 minutes
- Flight number: 6E1862
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
These flights will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Mauritius will be IndiGo’s 35th international and 123rd overall destination.
We are delighted on the addition of yet another stunning beach destination, Mauritius, to our growing international network. With four flights a week from Bengaluru to Mauritius, this direct flight will shorten travel time, bringing added convenience to our passengers. With easy norms such as visa-on-arrival for Indian citizens, this new route opens exciting opportunities for leisure as well as business travellers. As we continue to expand our global footprint, our focus remains firmly on delivering on-time performance, affordability, and a hassle-free experience, ensuring IndiGo remains the preferred choice for travel.
Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo said.
Also read: The Ultimate Mauritius Travel Guide: Everything you need to know
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A hub in the making?
Bengaluru is now a focus city for both the major players in the Indian aviation market – Air India and IndiGo. The former is building a mega MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility at Bengaluru Airport while the latter is trying a build a major hub for international flying to Asia, Africa and probably Australia the future.
Bengaluru is one of the biggest cities in Southern India and the new Terminal 2 is offering airlines opportunities to expand their network from the city, with both leisure and business travellers using the airport. Bengaluru has the largest premium demand in Southern India, owing to the large IT and manufacturing industry present in the city.
Mauritius is a natural choice for IndiGo. There may have been several reasons for IndiGo choosing Bengaluru over Chennai. Firstly, Bengaluru doesn’t have any nonstop flight to Mauritius presently, giving IndiGo a monopoly on this route, while Chennai is served by Air Mauritius. Secondly, Bengaluru is the largest city in terms of destinations served by IndiGo, helping in domestic-to-international connections and vice-versa. This helps in IndiGo not just rely on O&D traffic (Origin & Destination) but target passengers from all over India.
The final reason may be because Bengaluru is a more premium market, which may help IndiGo get better yields. Mumbai has nonstop flights to Mauritius by Air Mauritius and Vistara while Delhi is served by the national carrier of the island nation. With Vistara merging into Air India in November, it remains to be seen whether the Mauritius route will remain active or be terminated, since Air India itself does not fly to the island country.
Featured image by IndiGo
With Bali and Mauritius added, which international destination do you think will be added by IndiGo from Bengaluru? Let me know in the comments section below.
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