Flight MD152 was welcomed with full honors in Moroni. It was around 11 a.m. this Friday, July 30, under the sweltering heat of Moroni, when the Madagascar Airlines ATR 72 began its descent toward Prince Said Ibrahim Airport. On the tarmac, firefighters were ready for the traditional “water salute,” reserved for inaugural flights.
On board, emotions were running high. As the wheels touched the runway, thunderous applause erupted in the cabin. At the controls, Captain Franck Alain Rakotozafy had achieved more than just a landing; he had reopened a historic route that had been closed since July 2022.
The Antananarivo – Mahajanga – Moroni route was for years one of the most iconic connections from the Great Island to the Indian Ocean before disappearing from flight schedules. Its return is part of the transformation strategy initiated by Madagascar Airlines, which aims to reaffirm its regional presence in the face of increasing competition in the Indian Ocean.
The ties between the two territories are deep and long-standing, with a Comorian diaspora long established in Madagascar, particularly in Mahajanga. Additionally, there are constant flows of Comorian students and patients seeking education and medical care on the Great Island. This flight reconnects this shared history and reflects the growing presence of the Malagasy diaspora in Comoros.
Comorian Minister of Transport, Nour El Fath Azali, spoke, visibly moved by the significance of the event. “The return of Madagascar Airlines symbolizes the strengthening of a historic bond between two sister nations, united by geography, history, human exchanges, and a common will to build a shared future,” she stated. For her, this resumption opens concrete prospects for citizens, students, economic operators, and investors from both countries.
Madagascar Airlines CEO, Rado Rabarilala, emphasized the strategic importance of the event, noting that the airline plans to eventually connect the route to Marseille to serve the diaspora. Herizo Ramanambola Andrianavalona, the Malagasy Minister of Transport and Meteorology, who was on the inaugural flight, concluded that the link testifies to the strength of the historical, fraternal, and cultural ties between the two peoples.
The link between Madagascar and Comoros had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a brief resumption, it was closed again following the interception of gold bars at Moroni airport. Since then, travelers had no choice but to transit through Kenya or Ethiopia.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-01 18:23:39 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://2424.mg/transport-aerien-les-comores-de-nouveau-reliees-a-madagascar-par-le-ciel-apres-des-annees-dinterruption/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=transport-aerien-les-comores-de-nouveau-reliees-a-madagascar-par-le-ciel-apres-des-annees-dinterruption
