Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Encyclopedia
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , known as SSR Airport or previously as Plaisance Airport, is an international airport
serving the island country of Mauritius
. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and 26 nautical miles (48 km) southeast of Port Louis
, the capital of Mauritius. It is named after Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
(1900–1985), who was the first Prime Minister of Mauritius.
The airport serves as the hub of the country's national airline Air Mauritius
, and most of the maintenance on the aircraft is carried out at the new hangar facilities there.
The existing terminal
building is a two-storey structure, with arrivals based mainly on the lower floor and departures handled on the upper floor. A large outdoor parking lot
is attached. Unlike most airports, SSR Airport is a passenger-only building, non-passengers are not allowed inside. As a result, there are no landside shops, only duty-free boutiques after customs in the departure lounge, and a small duty free boutique for passengers arriving at Mauritius.
On 28 May 2009, Aéroports de Paris
subsidiaries ADPM and ADPI accounced they had won the contract to construct and manage a new terminal, Terminal 2. This building will connect with the existing terminal.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving the island country of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and 26 nautical miles (48 km) southeast of Port Louis
Port Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...
, the capital of Mauritius. It is named after Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam KT,GCMG,KCMG,LRCP, MRCS is the first Chief Minister, Prime Minister and sixth Governor General of Mauritius....
(1900–1985), who was the first Prime Minister of Mauritius.
The airport serves as the hub of the country's national airline Air Mauritius
Air Mauritius
Air Mauritius Limited, stylised as Air Mauritius, is the flag carrier of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius. Its main base is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport...
, and most of the maintenance on the aircraft is carried out at the new hangar facilities there.
The existing terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building is a two-storey structure, with arrivals based mainly on the lower floor and departures handled on the upper floor. A large outdoor parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
is attached. Unlike most airports, SSR Airport is a passenger-only building, non-passengers are not allowed inside. As a result, there are no landside shops, only duty-free boutiques after customs in the departure lounge, and a small duty free boutique for passengers arriving at Mauritius.
On 28 May 2009, Aéroports de Paris
Aéroports de Paris
Aéroports de Paris or ADP is the airport authority that owns and manages the fourteen civil airports and airfields in the Île-de-France area. Among its notable airports are Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Orly Airport and Le Bourget Airport...
subsidiaries ADPM and ADPI accounced they had won the contract to construct and manage a new terminal, Terminal 2. This building will connect with the existing terminal.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
- On August 24, 1960, QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
Super Constellation VH-EAC crashed on take-off at Mauritius en route to the Cocos Islands. The take-off was aborted following an engine failure, the aircraft ran off the runway, and was destroyed by fire. There were no fatalities.
- On November 28, 1987, South African Airways Flight 295South African Airways Flight 295South African Airways Flight 295 was a commercial flight that suffered a catastrophic in-flight fire in the cargo area and crashed into the Indian Ocean east of Mauritius on 28 November 1987, killing everyone on board...
, a Boeing 747-200 en route from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei to present-day O.R. Tambo International Airport via Mauritius crashed into the Indian Ocean after an in-flight cargo fire. None of the 159 passengers and crew survived the crash.
External links
- Airports of Mauritius Co. Ltd., official site