Surprise for passengers who traveled aboard Flight MK 053 Air Mauritius from London, landing at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport this morning. By tradition in the airport, the Airbus A340, the national airline, which became the first aircraft to dock the new airport facilities Plaisance, in the framework of the Soft Opening planned, was greeted on the runway by jets of water from two trucks firefighters from the airport.
Subsequently, the Air Mauritius approached our aircraft positions 11 and 12 on the five provided in the formal operationalization of the new terminal for disembarking passengers. Under the smooth start of operation of the new terminal, Airports of Mauritius Limited Airports and Terminal Operations Limited (ATOL) plan to use these two positions only for aircraft parking long term aircraft.
MK has pointed to the post-flight No. 12 at 8 o'clock this morning. The airbridge came to stand in contact with the unit providing fast landing 300 passengers of commercial flights. They had to borrow the Connecting Bridge connecting the two terminals to complete immigration procedures in the current terminal.
So far, two of the five aircraft parking positions have been put into operation with the air mail No. 12, can accommodate both standard aircraft and large aircraft A380 type, including that of Emirates expected tomorrow morning at Plaisance.
For the purposes of the exercise of the first operation this morning at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, all the staff of AML, ATOL and Air Mauritius had made an appointment. Mazurkiewicz Bruno, Chief Executive of ATOL, said the operation this morning following several weeks of preparation where teams of engineers and technicians were focused on functional and operational tests of these facilities. It welcomed the progress of these first operations aircraft position No. 12.
Serge Petit, CEO of Airports of Mauritius Limited, said in a statement issued by Blast Communications Limited, that "with its operational headquarters at the airport, Air Mauritius has marked the beginning of the local civil aviation. Overall, we experienced different stages of airport development. Today we witnessed another historic moment when the first commercial flight landed at the new infrastructure. '
In addition, Andre Viljoen, CEO of Air Mauritius welcomes the new facilities and believes that the airport has the means to be a benchmark in the region. "We applaud the efforts of AML and that ATOL every effort to minimize the impact on airport operations during construction. As a major partner of the airport, it is indeed a great moment of pride and privilege for us and our passengers can be the first to use these facilities, "he says in the same statement.
Remember that tomorrow, March 12, the first commercial flight with Emirates Airlines Airbus A380 will land at the airport SSR. This jumbo docks also post No. 12 to 9:40. To accommodate large aircraft such as the A380, AML had to invest Rs 1 billion in the repaving and widening of the runway.
New lights were installed lighting, space end of the runway was extended 150 meters to enhance the safety of operations. Rackets "turning pads" that allow airplanes to make 180-degree turns on the track, have also been extended.
CEO of ATOL provides for coming into operation "in full swing" of the new Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport between the end of the first half and early second this year.