LONDON – Last month, national flag carrier Air Mauritius issued a statement refuting an allegation made by a media outlet, which had alleged in an article that the carrier had corrosion issues with its ATR 72 regional commuter aircraft.
Addressing this allegation, the airline issued a statement which points to the fact that their aircraft are maintained under a program which derives from laid down manufacturer recommendations and is subject to stringent regulation by the governing body, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) of Mauritius.
The airline points to the fact that any issues with corrosion are inspected and identified. Notably the major C Check inspection laid down for the aircraft type particularly addresses airframe corrosion as part of its activities.
These issues, and the subsequent check and balances are not unusual for any air operator, and Air Mauritius appropriately outlines these considerations in their recent statement.
The airlines full and comprehensive statement is as follows:
Airworthiness of Air Mauritius ATR aircraft
Air Mauritius management has taken note of a press article published in the newspaper l’Express on Saturday, October 15, 2022 with the title ‘Corrosion rusts the Air ATRs Mauritius’. This defamatory article alludes to the condition of Air France’s ATR 72-500 aircraft.
From the outset, we would like to point out that the information that has been published and comes from an anonymous source, are unfounded and erroneous, and therefore damage the reputation the company.
1. Air Mauritius would like to point out that two of the three ATRs it has are operational and that the third aircraft of this type, registered 3B-NBN, is currently under review complete programmed (C Check).
2. The identification of any form of corrosion is an integral part of the activities of a C Check. Once the corrosions have been identified, repairs are undertaken by following to the letter the procedures established by the ATR manufacturer.
3. Additional work that is required as inspections progress. Stringent procedures continue during the C Check, may in some cases delay the return to service of the aircraft concerned.
4. All Air Mauritius aircraft are subject to comprehensive scheduled overhauls at regular intervals according to a specific schedule.
5. Air Mauritius ensures the airworthiness of its entire fleet under a regulatory system highly controlled and established by the competent authorities, in this case the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) of Mauritius. Air Mauritius owns all approvals required to operate its aircraft safely.
6. The maintenance programs developed by Air Mauritius for its ATR 72- aircraft 500 come from official documents published by the manufacturer ATR.
7. Engineers performing maintenance programs are appropriately competent and authorized. We salute in passing the professionalism of the entire Technical Services department, which works tirelessly to bring it back online aircraft that are under maintenance is effective as soon as possible while respecting the established standards.
Air Mauritius reiterates that the safety of its passengers and all its staff remains its top priority.
The management of Air Mauritius reserves the right to take legal action against any act malicious and intentional with the aim of tarnishing the image and reputation of Air Mauritius.
