Air Mauritanie

Infobox Airline
airline=Air Mauritanie
logo=AirMauritanie.jpg‎
logo_size=260
fleet_size=5
destinations=10
IATA=MR
ICAO=MRT
callsign=MIKE ROMEO
founded=1962
headquarters=Nouakchott, Mauritania
key_people=
hubs=Nouakchott International Airport
focus_cities=Nouadhibou
website=http://www.airmauritanie.mr|

Air Mauritanie was an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It was the national airline and operated domestic and regional services. A VIP-configured Boeing 727-200 was flown for the Mauritanian government. Its main base was Nouakchott International AirportFlight International 27 March 2007] .

History

Air Mauritanie was established in September 1962 and started operations in October 1962. It took over the limited regional services previously flown by Air France and UAT-Airmaritime. With the help of Spantax, a Spanish airline, Air Mauritanie started services in 1963 using Fokker F27 aircraft. The 1980s saw international routes to Las Palmas and Dakar added. In 1983 Fokker F28 jets were added to the fleet and in 1996 ATR 42 aircraft were purchased. Since then Boeing 737s have been introduced. As of June 2005, Air Mauritanie is [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2005-06-13.2950.h&s=speaker%3A10075#g2950.r0 was prohibited] from flying into the United Kingdom, because of evidence that they are not receiving adequate regulatory oversight from their national aviation authority.

The new Mauritanian transition Government in August 2005 started looking for a strategic partner for the heavily indebted company, which is owned by the Mauritanian government (11%), Bollore, Elf Oil and Mauritanian Bank. It was reported in August 2006 that Royal Air Maroc was to take a 51% stake in the airline and to effectively take over its management. Air Mauritanie had 235 employees as of March 2007.

In October 2007, however, the airline was liquidated after it was unable to pay the leases on two of its aircraft, which were repossessed by leasing company ILFC. [cite web|url=http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN255856.html | author=Reuters |title=Mauritania liquidates national air carrier |date=2007-10-12] The government of Mauritania is now attempting to establish a new airline, Mauritania Airways, in conjunction with Tunisair and a local company. [cite web|url=http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=45786 | author=African Press Agency |title=Mauritania Airways to operate maiden flight on Wednesday |date=2007-11-02]

Incidents and accidents

:See 2007 Air Mauritanie hijacking

Destinations

Air Mauritanie operated the following services at February 2007: Fact|date=April 2007

*Domestic scheduled destinations:
**Nouakchott (Nouakchott International Airport)
**Nouadhibou

*International scheduled destinations:
**Abidjan (Port Bouet Airport)
**Algiers (Houari Boumedienne Airport)
**Bamako (Senou International Airport)
**Brazzaville (Maya-Maya Airport)
**Casablanca (Mohammed V International Airport)
**Cotonou (Cadjehoun Airport)
**Dakar (Dakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport)
**Las Palmas (Gran Canaria International Airport)
**Paris (Orly Airport)

Historical Fleet

*1ndash Fokker F28-3000 Fellowship
*1ndash Fokker F28-4000 Fellowship
*1ndash Fokker F28-6000 Fellowship
*2ndash Boeing 737-700
*2ndash ATR 42-320
*1ndash Boeing 737-222
*1ndash Boeing 737-2H7C
*1ndash Fokker F27A
*1ndash Fairchild FH-227

References