After four years of suspension, Madagascar Airlines relaunched its Antananarivo–Moroni service via Mahajanga on July 30, 2026. The national carrier has bigger ambitions: Marseille and Guangzhou (Canton) are on its roadmap for the coming months.
Four years of disruption finally resolved
The Antananarivo–Moroni route had been suspended in 2022, a casualty of both the health crisis and diplomatic tensions between Madagascar and the Comoros. Since July 30, two weekly flights (Thursday and Sunday) now operate using an ATR 72-500, routed through Mahajanga. Demand had built up over four years: passengers were previously forced to connect through Addis Ababa or Nairobi at considerably higher cost.
Royal Air Moroni also inaugurated a link between Moroni and Mahajanga, a sign that the regional market on this long-neglected corridor is heating up.
Marseille in sight, Guangzhou in the pipeline
Madagascar Airlines management is developing two intercontinental destinations. The first, Mahajanga–Marseille, would target the Comorian and Malagasy diaspora in southern France. The second, Guangzhou (Canton), would be part of a broader long-haul network redeployment, stalled since the return of Air Belgium's A330-200.
The key constraint: Madagascar Airlines has no long-haul aircraft of its own. It will need to rely on ACMI leasing — as it did previously with an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8 — to open these routes.
A signal for Indian Ocean connectivity
The resumption of the Madagascar–Comoros link is a meaningful indicator of restored relations between the two archipelagos. It facilitates trade flows, worker mobility and regional tourism. If Marseille is confirmed, it would mark the first direct air link between Madagascar and mainland France operated by the national carrier in years — a boost for investor and diaspora confidence.
Why it matters
Air connectivity is a prerequisite for regional economic integration. Every new route opened across the Indian Ocean reduces the cost of doing business between islands and draws the region closer to European and Asian markets. The gradual revival of Madagascar Airlines — after a turbulent period — is an encouraging signal for a regional aviation sector in recovery. For businesses across the Indian Ocean, the question is no longer just how to connect the islands, but how to link them efficiently to global hubs.