Maurits-Chaletria Airport

**Chaletria-Maurits Airport** (French: Aéroport de Chaletria-Maurits, is an International airport in the The Mauritsian Republiclocated in the province & Island of Chaletria, after which it gets its name. It is situated 1.5km kilometers south-east of Nacray, Avignon. The airport is the second busiest in the Mauritsian Republic, only behind Fort Orleans International Airport as a result of the island of Chalteria being a popular tourist destination for international & domestic citizens alike.

## History

The airport was the first in the Mauritsian Republic, originally having opened as an airbase for the French Army from its opening in August 1939 until its re-organisation as a civil aerodrome during the 1970's.

During the 1980's-1990's Tourism Boom, Chaletria became a hot destination for wealthy individuals, mainly from North America, Oceania & Europe, due to its seclusion & isolation from the rest of the world, good weather & temperatures and due to its lack of established laws & regulation of gambling, drug use, alcohol use & proposition, which many individuals took advantage of. In this sudden rush, the airport soon became swamped with jets ranging from private aircraft to large jets such as the 747, which left the airport to become significantly cramped & crowded. In order to alleviate this congestion, and with a new flow of cash into the region, the government had the resources & motive to completely reorganize & rebuild the airport & its facilities to make them more capable of meeting the significant demand, which was completed in 1996, as the boom began to subside.

Today the airport continues to be a primary port of entry for many foreign nations seeking to holiday in Maurits, with Chaletria now being the center of Tourism in the Mauritsian Republic. During the high season, in order to cater for the large demand for flights, the airport sees a variety of International flights to destinations across the world, including charter flights, however during the low season, there are only a few international services a week. The airport is a hub for mauritsair.

## Operations

As of 2020, the airport boasts a passenger terminal with several gates.

## Ground Transport

The airport is served by a variety of Transport methods to/from the major resorts of Chalteria during the high tourist season.

#### **Car**

The airport features a moderately sized car-park, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, accommodation up to 590 cars.

#### **Bus**

During the high season, the airport is served by a variety of private bus operators to shuttle tourists to/from the major resorts & hotels, however such a service does not operate during the low season, with some exceptions. In additional, public local bus services routes 56 & 21 call at the airport, heading to the capital of the province, Dampiernoy, and local towns.

## Accidents & Incidents

• On 10th February 2011, a Fairchild SA 227-BC Metro III owned by the Mauritsian airline Air Islands Marits, was operating a scheduled flight. The flight MAI78 was operating from Tribelle to Chaletria-Maurits Airport with twelve passengers and two crew. At 18:50 hrs during the third attempt to land at the airport in low visibility conditions, control was lost and the aircraft impacted the runway. The aircraft came to a rest inverted in soft ground to the right of the runway surface. Post impact fires occurred in both engines which were quickly extinguished by the Airport Fire Service (AFS). Six persons, including both pilots, were fatally injured. Four passengers were seriously injured and two received minor injuries.

• On 19th August 2019, a Mauritsair Boeing 747-400's wing collided with a gulfstream aircraft being prepared for departure whilst arriving from Auckland. Nobody was hurt.