Madagascar Airlines (MGY, Antananarivo) has resumed direct flights on the Paris CDG-Antananarivo route through a new codeshare agreement with Air France.
The resumption of the Paris service on February 4 follows the signing in October 2024 of a special prorate agreement (SPA) between the two airlines. Flights will operate four to five times a week during the IATA winter 2024 season, the airline announced in a statement. Air France operates the route with a B777-200ER, ADS-B data shows.
The flight schedules of both airlines have been synchronised to enhance connectivity. Inbound flights to Madagascar will connect to Nosy-Be, Tulear, Tamatave, Sainte Marie, Tolanaro, and Majunga. From Paris, ten onward connections offered with Air France include Marseilles and Lyon St. Exupéry (France), Milan Malpensa (Italy), Frankfurt International and Berlin Brandenburg (Germany), Barcelona El Prat (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Prague Václav Havel (Czechia), Sofia (Bulgaria), and Bucharest Henri Coanda (Romania).
Madagascar Airlines' "Phénix 2030" World Bank-backed restructuring plan, announced in November 2023, has focused on strengthening its domestic operations. To reduce losses, the airline suspended costly ACMI long-haul operations and regional flights to restore the fundamentals of the business.
The Malagasy flag carrier's in-house fleet comprises three ATR72-500s and a single ATR72-600. Another dry-leased ATR72-500 is expected around March 2025, a well-placed source told ch-aviation.
Meanwhile, all wet leases have been terminated since January. These include a DHC-8-Q400 and a DHC-8-Q300 from CemAir and an ATR72-500 from Jump Air.
Under the restructuring plan, the airline aims to operate six ATR72-500s by summer 2025 and is currently scouting for turboprops - ATR72s or Q400s - on a wet-lease basis for summer 2025.
"This partnership with Air France marks a strategic milestone for Madagascar Airlines, allowing our company to offer a broader and more competitive service, providing our passengers with better connectivity and greater travel flexibility while showcasing our national brand in the European market," commented CEO Thierry de Bailleul.
Other airlines serving Antananarivo include Air Austral from St. Denis de la Réunion; Air Mauritius from Mauritius; Airlink (South Africa) from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo; Kenya Airways from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta; Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa International; Emirates via Mahé (Seychelles); and Turkish Airlines via Mauritius.
