A short domestic hop across the Indian Ocean was cut short on March 4th 2026 when an Air Mauritius turboprop returned to its departure airport following a technical issue during climb.
The Air Mauritius ATR 72-212A, registered 3B-NCP, was operating flight MK-120 from Mauritius to Rodrigues Island with 52 people on board.
Shortly after departure, while climbing out, the crew stopped the ascent at Flight Level 090 after detecting a technical problem. Following standard precautionary procedures, the pilots decided to discontinue the flight and return to Mauritius rather than continue over water toward Rodrigues Island.
The aircraft landed safely back on runway 14 approximately 50 minutes after takeoff. There were no reports of injuries, and the aircraft taxied normally after landing.
To minimize disruption, a replacement ATR 72-212A, registered 3B-NCU, was dispatched and successfully completed the flight to Rodrigues Island, arriving with a delay of about two hours.
While the exact nature of the technical issue was not disclosed, precautionary returns during the climb phase are a routine safety measure, particularly on short island sectors where limited diversion options exist once airborne.
