Le partnership The agreement between Air Austral and Air Madagascar signed on 9 October finally set out a detailed battle plan at a press conference in Paris on Monday. " Within 3 to 4 years, our group will be a force to be reckoned with in the Indian Ocean. "says Marie-Joseph Malé, CEO of Air Austral. This is one of the main reasons for the buyback of 49 % shares in Air Madagascar, despite the company's poor economic health. " When I arrived at Air Madagascar in 2017, the company was morose. There was no visible objective. The whole company has high expectations of this partnership "says Besoa Razafimaharo, Managing Director of Air Madagascar. The African company was in a rough patch. The lack of funds had led to a drop in the quality of service, and of numerous flight delays and cancellations.
Air Madagascar sets ambitious goals
Air Austral's investment in this airline has given the carrier a new lease of life. " Our plan is based on three pillars: service quality, punctuality and respect for the customer. "says Mr Razafimaharo firmly. The Managing Director has set ambitious targets for his company: 85 % punctuality whereas the current level is 68 %. It also wants to improve the quality of service on board: " We're going to align ourselves with Air Austral, and even overtake them "he said. The company's staff are currently being trained in 13 workshops to work towards these objectives. Besoa Razafimaharo also revealed the creation of a new subsidiary which will serve airports exclusively Malagasy domestic servants. The new company has been named Tsaradia.
The two companies work in synergy
This partnership also extends to a number of areas, including accessibility of trade shows by customers of both airlines. However, the hubs of the two carriers will remain separate. Antananarivo and Saint Denis de la Réunion will therefore retain their independence. The agreement TGV Air with Air Austral, which optimises air-rail intermodalityhas also been extended to Air Madagascar.
