Two airlines, one shared goal: reopen the skies between Madagascar and the Comoros. Within three days, Madagascar Airlines on July 30 and then Royal Air on August 1, 2026, relaunched direct connections between the two neighbouring archipelagos, ending four years of severed air links caused by the health crisis and diplomatic tensions.
Madagascar Airlines leads the way on July 30
Madagascar Airlines resumed flights on July 30, 2026 on the Antananarivo–Mahajanga–Moroni route using an ATR 72-500 (70 seats). Service runs twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. The airline has its eye on further expansion: it is considering restoring direct routes to Marseille and Guangzhou (Canton), two key markets for the Comorian diaspora and Sino-Malagasy trade flows.
Royal Air joins in on August 1
On August 1, the inaugural Royal Air flight landed at Mahajanga's Amborovy airport, welcomed by the governor of the autonomous island of Mohéli and the Comorian Minister of Transport. Royal Air plans a dense network: 5 weekly flights on Ndzuani–Mahajanga, 2 weekly flights Moroni–Antananarivo (CRJ-200, 1 hour 10 minutes) and 2 weekly flights Moroni–Mahajanga. A round-trip ticket on the Ndzuani–Mahajanga route is priced at 203,000 Comorian francs.
Why did the suspension last so long?
The closure dated back to 2022, compounding the legacy of the pandemic with a diplomatic standoff triggered by the seizure of 49.5 kg of gold by Comorian authorities. Travellers had since been forced to transit through multiple stopovers, dramatically increasing journey times and costs. The gradual easing of tensions — symbolised by the Comorian president attending Madagascar's national celebrations and the introduction of visa exemptions for official passports — opened the door to this aerial reconciliation.
Why it matters
The resumption of these direct routes is far from merely symbolic. It reconnects two complementary economies, revives cross-island commerce, inter-island tourism and diaspora flows. Madagascar Airlines' planned expansion to Marseille and Canton positions the Indian Ocean on two of the world's most strategically important economic corridors.