Tropical storm Calvinia forces SAA to cancel flights between Joburg and Mauritius

Unfavourable weather conditions brought on by tropical storm Calvinia have forced Mauritius to close its only airport. 

All arrivals and departures have been postponed until further notice, Air Mauritius said in a statement on Monday morning. 

South African Airways (SAA) announced on Monday that flights SA190/MK950 from Johannesburg to Mauritius and SA191/MK949 from Mauritius to Johannesburg have been cancelled and that SAA plans to reinstate these flights on Tuesday. 

SAA’s intended rescheduled flights, depending on weather conditions. Image: SAA website/screenshot

“We have decided to add additional flights on Tuesday in order to accommodate as many passengers as possible who are affected by the cancellation on Monday. 

“SAA will operate two wide-bodied aircraft, an A330-200 (36 Business and 186 Economy class seats) and an A330-300 (46 Business and 203 Economy),” said SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali. 

He added that the Mauritius Meteorology Services (MMS) notified SAA that their airspace was closed due to the severity of the weather conditions and that SAA would support any operational decisions to prioritise safety. 

Customers will be kept informed about weather conditions in Mauritius.

MMS has categorised Calvinia as a severe tropical storm and is a mere 90km east of Mauritius. 

Tracking tropical storm Calvinia. Image: Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) website

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have been forecast for Mauritius on Monday, with very rough sea conditions. Tuesday indicates frequent showers and moderate sea conditions.

According to Severe Weather Europe, tropical storm Calvinia will move south over the next few hours, and should not be upgraded to a tropical cyclone. 

 Updates to follow as more information is made available. 

(Compiled by Nica Schreuder)

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