Behind the name of MK A330neo

The second A330neo of Air Mauritius, named “Chagos Archipelago” left the Airbus Delivery Centre Toulouse, flew to the Paris Airshow. After the night stop at Le Bourget, it landed in Mauritius Friday 21 June 2019 in the morning.

Mauritius has always claimed that the Chagos Archipelago was part of the Mauritian territory. On 25 February 2019, the United Nations International Court of Justice has ruled that Britain should hand back the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. The decolonisation of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when the country obtained independence in 1968 due to the separation of the Chagos Archipelago.

However this verdict is an advisory opinion and not legally binding. The Chagossians about 1,500 inhabitants, were expelled from the islands by the British between 1967 and 1973. Diego Garcia was then leased to the United States for a military base.

The Chagossian people and the leader of the Chagos Refugee Group, Olivier Bancoult hope they will be able to return home one day.

For its first commercial flight the Air Mauritius A330neo ” Chagos Archipelago” MK042 operated to Heathrow Airport (LHR) on 21 June 2019. A way to remind the British and the world that the islands do belong to Mauritius!