Embraer’s next customer in Africa, Madagascar Airlines obtained the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the aviation authority of Madagascar. The company, created from the merger of Air Madagascar and Tsaradia, is the archipelago’s new flag carrier.
With the approval, the operations of Air Madagascar and Tsaradia will be concentrated under the management of Madagascar Airlines. The company’s combined fleet currently has six ATR 72 turboprops, serving domestic and regional routes, and an Airbus A330-200 leased from Air Belgium, used on the stretch between Paris and Antananarivo, the Malagasy capital. But soon, the company will also fly with state-of-the-art jets.
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Madagascar Airlines expects to receive the first E190-E2 in its fleet by the end of June. The arrival of the jet on that date was recently announced by representatives of the Ministry of Transport on the African island.
In December 2022, the Madagascar airline confirmed an agreement to lease three E190-E2 jets from leasing company Azorra, with deliveries starting this year and ending in 2024. The aircraft are expected to service domestic routes and nearby archipelagos, such as the Mauricio Islands.
The decision to have the E2s in the state-owned company’s fleet was anticipated by the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, in October 2022. At the time, the head of state declared that the country had entered into a partnership to acquire Embraer aircraft and also negotiated the arrival of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
On a tour of African countries last year, Embraer took the E190-E2 for a presentation in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, in March. Another E2 customer on the African continent is Air Peace, from Nigeria, with an order for eight E195-E2 jets.
