Air Austral was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Saint-Denis, Reunion, a French overseas department; it is a key carrier of the south-west Indian Ocean. It carries cargo in the belly holds of passenger flights, flies nonstop to Paris daily, and links Reunion with Mauritius, Madagascar, Mayotte, the Comoros, South Africa and Bangkok. For Chinese exporters it is an important connecting carrier into Reunion and the island markets of the south-west Indian Ocean.
Air Austral was founded in 1974 and is the flag carrier of Reunion, a French overseas department. It is headquartered in Saint-Denis and its main base is Sainte-Marie Roland Garros Airport (RUN). Its two-letter carrier code is UU, three-letter accounting code REU, and its official website is air-austral.com. The Paris Charles de Gaulle route is its long-haul backbone while Reunion serves as the regional hub for a south-west Indian Ocean island network, linking metropolitan France with the south-west Indian Ocean.
Air Austral does not operate freighters; all cargo tonnage comes from the lower holds of passenger flights. Its published cargo material shows a Boeing 777 widebody carrying about 18 to 20 tonnes per flight on the Paris to Reunion route, with smaller tonnage in the belly holds of Boeing 787 and Airbus A220 aircraft on short regional sectors. The product serves importers and exporters, fish and agricultural processors and inter-island suppliers, carrying general merchandise, electronic parts, fresh produce and pharmaceuticals.
Reunion is a French overseas department, so although it lies in the south-west Indian Ocean its administration and customs system belong to the EU and the local market measures imports against European standards; consumer goods, building materials, household hardware, textiles and apparel and electronic parts have long been imported. Mauritius is an Indian Ocean shipping and financial transhipment port, Madagascar relies on agriculture and mining, Mayotte is also a French overseas department and the Comoros is an agricultural economy. Cargo flows between these islands are small and there is no large freighter network, which makes the belly space on Air Austral regional flights the main channel for higher-value inter-island cargo.
These markets share a common profile: small in scale but able to absorb higher unit prices, frequent orders in small lots, and sea transit of four to six weeks that cannot meet urgent replenishment. Air cargo routed through Bangkok reaches Reunion in about seven to ten days and connects to neighboring islands in one to two more days, which fills the gap sea freight cannot cover.
| Aircraft type | Aircraft in fleet (public information) | Route positioning | Belly cargo characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777-300ER | 3 aircraft | Paris Charles de Gaulle long-haul trunk route | Large widebody belly tonnage, about 18 to 20 tonnes per flight, the main cargo type |
| Boeing 787-8 | 2 aircraft | Long-haul and regional trunk supplement | Widebody belly hold, cargo door sized for standard ULDs |
| Airbus A220-300 | 3 aircraft (progressively returned to lessor by end-2026) | Indian Ocean short regional routes | Narrowbody belly with small tonnage, suited to high-value urgent inter-island cargo |
| Boeing 737-800 (wet lease) | 2 aircraft (transition period) | Regional capacity supplement | Wet-leased from ASL Airlines France to fill the gap left by A220 returns |
The airline also plans to take two Airbus A320neo in 2027 to replace the regional fleet. Types and numbers in service change during the fleet transition; confirmation rests with the carrier on the day of booking. Times are local.
By role, the Boeing 777-300ER flies the Paris trunk route and is the main source of cargo tonnage, suited to consolidated shipments. The Boeing 787-8 moves between long-haul and regional trunk work, with cargo doors that take standard ULDs. The Airbus A220-300 and the wet-leased Boeing 737-800 cover short Indian Ocean sectors with smaller tonnage but steady frequency. Exporters can match aircraft to volume and destination: bulk cargo prefers the 777 and 787 flights, small urgent lots the regional narrowbodies.
Frequency across the regional points is graded around Reunion: Mauritius and Mayotte have the densest service, Madagascar covers Antananarivo and other main cities, and the Comoros and Johannesburg are slightly less frequent. When planning multi-island distribution, Chinese exporters can use Mauritius as a backup node and reroute through it if a Reunion flight is adjusted, which protects delivery continuity.
Air Austral centers its network on Roland Garros Airport, linking east to Mauritius (MRU), Antananarivo in Madagascar (TNR) and the Seychelles (SEZ), north to Dzaoudzi in Mayotte (DZA) and Moroni in the Comoros (HAH), south-west to Johannesburg (JNB), north-east to Bangkok (BKK), and flying daily nonstop to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) with Boeing widebodies. The network covers the main island economies of the south-west Indian Ocean and the southern African gateway.
Toward China, Air Austral currently has no publicly listed nonstop destination. The airline did operate a Reunion to Guangzhou route in the past, one of the few air links between China and Reunion, and there is no public information on whether it still operates. The practical routing for Chinese export cargo is from a main Chinese gateway to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), connecting to the Air Austral Bangkok to Reunion flight, or via Singapore or Dubai into the Reunion hub and on to the island points.
For cargo continuing to metropolitan France, the Reunion hub connects to the airline's daily Paris flight, giving a two-leg structure from China to the Indian Ocean islands and on to Europe. We can combine the China to Bangkok and Bangkok to Reunion legs at the booking stage according to the final destination.
Reunion, Mauritius, Mayotte and the Comoros have limited direct channels to China, and Air Austral has one of the most complete distribution capabilities in the region.
Boeing 777 and 787 belly holds offer substantial tonnage for consolidated shipments of general merchandise, electronic parts and fish and agricultural processing inputs.
Reunion flies nonstop to Paris daily, so cargo routed through the Indian Ocean can continue into the European market as a cross-regional option.
Cargo flights from China to Bangkok are frequent and Air Austral operates the Bangkok to Reunion leg, so the two segments can be combined flexibly with good scheduling slack.
The first leg runs from a Chinese gateway to Bangkok: Guangzhou Baiyun, Shanghai Pudong and other gateways have several daily cargo and passenger belly flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, so space is plentiful and exporters can match cut-off times and rates. The flight takes three to four hours, cargo handed over the same day can reach Bangkok that day, and terminal handling and customs transfer are well established.
The second leg runs Bangkok to Reunion on Air Austral widebody or narrowbody aircraft, about six to seven hours, where the consignment switches from the Asian network to the Indian Ocean regional network. Half a day to a day is normally allowed between the legs for terminal handling, document checks and ULD handover. When booking both legs together we choose the shortest connection so that cargo does not wait long in Bangkok.
As alternatives, cargo can enter the Reunion network via Singapore Changi or Dubai: Singapore suits exports from southern China, Dubai suits consignments that need to connect onward toward Europe. The three corridors back each other up when space is tight, keeping shipments moving.
Indicative total transit: one to two days from a Chinese gateway to Bangkok, half a day to a day in Bangkok, six to seven hours of flying plus a day of ground handling from Bangkok to Reunion, and one to two days from Reunion to neighboring island points. Total transit is normally seven to ten days to the consignee, and shippers with urgent cargo should state the requirement at booking so that we can prioritize the shortest connection. Schedules follow the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Air Austral has no publicly listed office of its own in China, so Chinese shippers should book through a freight forwarder. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited handles the whole chain from a Chinese gateway through Bangkok to the Reunion hub and on to the islands.
Provide the destination island, commodity, pieces, weight and dimensions and preferred flight
Book the China to Bangkok cargo flight and confirm the cut-off time
Pick up and warehouse the cargo while completing export clearance
Connect to the Air Austral flight after landing in Bangkok
Transfer at RUN to Mauritius and other island points
Track the whole journey by waybill number and report exceptions immediately
Standard documents are the customs declaration authorization, commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. Because Reunion is a French overseas department, EU import rules apply, and the consignee's tax number and the HS codes should be checked at booking. We can provide a destination document checklist to reduce dwell at the transit and clearance stages.
Air imports under EU rules are strict about invoice value, translated commodity descriptions and supporting documents, and an understated value can trigger customs valuation at destination and leave cargo sitting in a bonded shed. Exporters should declare the actual transaction price and send a draft invoice for pre-check before booking. Branded goods protected by intellectual property need authorization documents in advance to avoid seizure at destination. For regular shippers we can set up fixed document templates and consignee records to shorten the cut-off preparation for each shipment.
Reunion and Mauritius are volcanic island agricultural economies with steady demand for fruit and vegetable seed, fish processing equipment and food additives from China. Perishables should be declared as temperature controlled at booking so that reefer ULDs stay unbroken through the Bangkok connection.
Pharmaceutical supply on the south-west Indian Ocean islands depends on imports; temperature-controlled shipments must meet the carrier's dangerous goods and temperature control manuals, with time allowed for the temperature-controlled handover between the two legs.
Reunion and Mayotte have steady demand for Chinese general merchandise, small household appliances and clothing; widebody belly space suits consolidated shipments and the regional narrowbody points suit small urgent replenishment.
The regional fleet is between A220 returns and A320neo deliveries, so schedules on some island points may change. Schedules follow the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking; urgent cargo should have a backup flight.
Air Austral has no publicly listed office of its own in China; contact its local agent in China or ask us to coordinate. Chinese exporters needing combined bookings to Reunion and the Indian Ocean islands can submit the space request through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, which will arrange the whole operation. Our website is https://goodhope86.com; please use the company's published sales channels for business enquiries.
In terms of cargo fit, air cargo from China to the south-west Indian Ocean islands is mainly household hardware, consumer electronic parts, textiles and apparel, footwear, bags, cosmetics and toiletries and small appliances. These are regular in shape and medium in volume, matching widebody belly and regional narrowbody belly conditions. Island markets reorder quickly in small lots, so frequent small shipments are normal; we can consolidate several waybills onto one ULD to spread the handling cost per shipment.
Air Austral official website: air-austral.com. Space, rates and schedules are subject to the actual confirmation of the carrier and its authorized agents on the day of booking. Our long experience includes clearance procedures in both Reunion and Mauritius, so we can pre-check EU-standard documents before departure and shorten the wait on arrival.
Air Austral flies a Boeing 777-300ER daily between Roland Garros Airport in Reunion and Paris Charles de Gaulle, the core air corridor between the south-west Indian Ocean and metropolitan Europe. Each flight carries about 18 to 20 tonnes in the belly, with traffic in both directions: agricultural and fishery products exported from Reunion to Europe, and imports distributed through the Reunion hub to the Indian Ocean islands.
For Chinese shippers this route offers a European distribution option via the Indian Ocean: cargo that reaches Reunion from Bangkok can connect to the Air Austral Paris flight for metropolitan France or southern Europe, transferring at Charles de Gaulle into the European distribution system. The routing is long, but it is a supplementary choice when space on traditional southern China to southern Europe channels is tight.
On regional distribution, the Reunion hub connects daily to Mauritius, Madagascar, Mayotte, the Comoros and Johannesburg. After EU-standard clearance in Reunion, Chinese cargo can move to neighboring islands the same or next day. For traders supplying several Indian Ocean islands at once, clearing once in Reunion and distributing onward is more efficient than clearing separately on each island.
During the fleet transition the airline uses wet-leased Boeing 737-800s to cover regional capacity after the A220 returns, and regional schedules are broadly maintained. Two Airbus A320neo due in 2027 will complete the regional fleet renewal. Exporters should watch the carrier's aircraft change notices when planning space; schedules follow the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
There is currently no publicly listed nonstop destination in China. The airline did operate a Reunion to Guangzhou route in the past, and there is no public information on whether it still operates. Cargo should first fly to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and connect to the Air Austral Bangkok to Reunion flight, or route via Singapore or Dubai into the Reunion hub and on to the islands.
Published cargo material shows a Boeing 777 widebody carrying about 18 to 20 tonnes per flight on Paris to Reunion, with smaller tonnage in the belly holds of Boeing 787 and Airbus A220 aircraft on short regional sectors. Available tonnage moves with load factor and baggage, and is subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Yes. Air Austral hubs at Reunion and connects daily to Mauritius, Antananarivo in Madagascar, Mayotte, the Comoros and other island points. Cargo that reaches Reunion from Bangkok can connect to a regional flight to the final island, and we book both legs together.
EU import rules apply in Reunion, so the consignee's tax number, the HS codes and origin details must be accurate. Documents should be checked against the destination checklist at booking, and temperature-controlled or dangerous goods must be declared in advance. The destination customs authority and the carrier confirm the specific requirements.
Air Austral has no publicly listed office of its own in China; Chinese shippers should book through an IATA-accredited freight forwarder. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited coordinates the Chinese gateway departure, the Bangkok connection and distribution in Reunion, and work starts as soon as the shipper provides consignee details and cargo data.
Produced by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight). Airline names, codes and brand marks referred to belong to their respective owners, and the company has no affiliation, agency or investment relationship with the airlines described. Information is compiled from public sources for reference only and does not constitute a contract of carriage or a commitment. Space, rates and schedules are subject to the actual confirmation of the carrier and its authorized agents at the time of booking. Network and fleet details may change with fleet transition and season.
Contact:Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited; company website https://goodhope86.com. Please submit enquiries and booking instructions through the company's published sales channels and a dedicated contact will respond.
Trademark notice:The Goodhope name and the airline names, trademarks and codes mentioned here, including Air Austral, UU and REU, belong to their respective owners. The material describes freight services only and does not commit to any flight schedule or capacity allocation.