La Réunion’s Air Austral Receives Its First Boeing 787-8

Air Austral, based on the French island La Réunion in the Indian Ocean, has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787.

The first of two Boeing 787-8s ordered by Air Austral in 2015 will touch down at Roland Garros Airport in Saint-Marie on La Réunion on May 25, following a 10,500-mile (16,898-kilometer) delivery flight, via Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (IATA code CDG), from Boeing’s Everett Delivery Center at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.

La Réunion-based Air Austral took delivery on May 23, 2016 of the first of two Boeing 787-8s it had ordered from the manufacturer in 2015. The carrier intended to use the aircraft to operate non-stop services between Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport in the French insular department and region of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

“The state of the art 787 Dreamliner’s unique capabilities enable us to launch the Dzaoudi to Paris Charles de Gaulle route,” says Marie-Joseph Male, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Air Austral.

Dzaoudzi is a commune in the French overseas department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. The commune of Dzaoudzi, made up of the twin towns of Dzaoudzi and Labattoir and until 1977 the capital of Mayotte, is located on the small island of Petite-Terre.

The only airport in Mayotte offering scheduled services, Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport (DZA) has a runway just 6,330 feet (1,929 meters) long.

Scheduled services from Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport operate mainly to destinations within Africa and to France. Air Austral will operate non-stop flights between DZA and CDG with its new Boeing 787-8s .

Mayotte is an insular department and region of France. It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre, as well as the smaller island Petite-Terre and several islets around these two islands.

The Mayotte archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa, between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique.

“It is an honor to deliver the first 787 Dreamliner to Air Austral, a first for a French operator,” says Van Rex Gallard, vice president sales Latin America, Caribbean and Africa for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“The Dreamliner will complement Air Austral’s growing long-haul fleet, made up of 777s and now a 787, as well as its trans-continental network to Europe and Asia,” adds Gallard.

Air Austral was founded in 1975 and now operates a fleet which consists of two ATR 72-500 turboprop regional airliners, two Boeing 737-800s, one 737-300QC, three Boeing 777-300ERs and (from June) one 787-8.