(Posted 19th September 2023)
Ongoing negotiations for the funding of the new Plaine Corail Airport runway in
Rodrigues are promising, with hopes that the World Bank will give its approval
around September 29th, 2023. A delegation from the World Bank conducted a
mission in Rodrigues from August 22nd to August 24th. Negotiation meetings
between the World Bank and the government of Mauritius (Ministry of
Finance) also took place on August 28th and 29th. The project is estimated to
cost US Dollars 200 million. If financing is approved during the World Bank validation
committee on September 29th, construction is expected to commence in March
2024 and conclude around October 2026.
Rodrigues Island is a small, idyllic island located in the Indian Ocean, about 560
kilometers (350 miles) east of the island of Mauritius. It is an autonomous
outer island of the Republic of Mauritius.
The new runway will have a length of 2.1 kilometers, allowing it to
accommodate medium-sized aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Once operational, this new infrastructure will provide the opportunity to
welcome aircraft manufacturers interested in expanding their flights from
Plaisance Airport in Mauritius to Rodrigues. Some foreign airlines have already
expressed interest in this prospect.
Currently, Air Mauritius and Air Austral are the only airlines serving Rodrigues.
Air Mauritius offers 8 daily flights from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport,
while Air Austral operates two flights per week, specifically on Wednesdays,
from Réunion Island to Rodrigues.
In other news, the Rodrigues Tourism Office will participate in the International
and French Travel Market Top Resa from October 03rd to October 05th at the Parc
des Expositions in Porte de Versailles, Paris.
Rodrigues, positioning itself as an eco-responsible destination, will engage with stakeholders in this field to increase the visibility of this still relatively unknown destination in the European market.
Currently, France remains the primary tourism market for the small island,
followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. For
the year 2023, the island aims to surpass the 90,000 arrivals mark, compared to
64,933 in 2022.
Only recently did ATCNews report about the Rodrigues International Kitesurf Festival, which was held once again for the first time since the global C19 pandemic struck the world and brought travel and such activities to a standstill.
