This decision was taken by the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday, September 30 who received three of the 18 pilots: the two laureates Umayr Beeharry and Rahul Koolwant as well as Deepcy Bungshy at his office. The 18 Air Mauritius pilots who have been on unpaid leave since September 1 will be reinstated as of November 1. They were accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of Airports Holdings Ken Arian.
In a statement, First Officer Bunshy expressed her thankfulness to the Prime Minister for coming up with this decision to call them back to service and looks forward for the activities of Air Mauritius to take off again.
For his part, First Officer Koolwant showed appreciation for reintegrating the national airline as from 01 November 2021 after being placed under five years leave without pay while highlighting that they will be back on the pay roll system. They will also receive training on the A330 aircraft in 2022 to be able to operate on these flights, he added.
According to First Officer Beeharry, this initiative of the Prime Minister demonstrates a strong sense of patriotism and sends a strong signal to the population. He expressed optimism for a better future for the Mauritian national carrier.
It is to be recalled that 18 pilots of Air Mauritius were placed under five years leave without pay, starting from 01 September 2021, following the sale of A319 and A340 aircrafts. For more than a year, Air Mauritius has been under voluntary administration.
