[6]: 1131 [7]: 41  Until 1972, the company restricted its activities to ground services only; it started flight operations in its own right in August 1972 with a six-seater Piper PA-31 Navajo aircraft leased from Air Madagascar, connecting Mauritius with Rodrigues.

[8] In 1973, a wet-leased Vickers VC10 from British Airways enabled the company to launch a long-haul route to London via Nairobi,[7]: 41 [9]: 474  whereas services to Bombay were operated by Air India.

During the early 1980s, routes to Durban and Johannesburg were inaugurated using Boeing 707-320B aircraft flown with Air India and British Airways crews.

The incorporation of a second aircraft of the type, bought from Luxavia, allowed the carrier to expand the European route network to Rome and Zürich in 1983,[8] whereas Paris was added in the mid-1980s.

[11] Leased from SAA, a Boeing 747SP named "Chateau de Réduit" entered the fleet in November 1984 and was deployed on services to London.

There had been an increase in demand from businessmen since that time, as most passengers travelling from South Africa to Australia had to stop at Hong Kong, Taipei or Singapore.

[15][16] Given that landing rights in Australia for Air Mauritius had not been approved yet,[15] a Boeing 747SP non-stop service to Hong Kong commenced on 29 October 1989, in cooperation with Cathay Pacific.

[22] By March 1990, the route network included Antananarivo, Bombay, Durban, Geneva, Harare, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Moroni, Munich, Nairobi, Paris, Reunion, Rodrigues, Rome, Singapore and Zürich.

At this time, the airline had a fleet of five Airbus A340-300s, one ATR42-300, two ATR42-500s and two Boeing 767-200ERs that served a route network including Antananarivo, Brussels, Cape Town, Delhi, Durban, Frankfurt, Geneva, Harare, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Mahe Island, Manchester, Maputo, Mauritius, Melbourne, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, Paris, Perth, Rodrigues Island, Rome, Singapore, Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Vienna and Zürich.

The new route aimed at improving air connectivity between Mauritius and Singapore to stimulate the growth of passenger and cargo traffic between Asia and Africa through these two hubs.

[32][33] On 22 April 2020, the board of directors decided to place the company under voluntary administration after COVID-19 related disruptions made it impossible for the airline to meet its financial obligations for the foreseeable future.

The pandemic had a major impact on the revenue of the company while it was seeking to change its business model to address existing financial problems.

However, in September 2023 CEO Krešimir Kučko and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Laval Ah Chip were both stood down after an investigation which revealed that they had enjoyed free holidays paid for by a supplier of Air Mauritius.

As a result of the investigation which lasted from 2001 to 2015, several senior members of its management including Gérard Tyack, Harry Tirvengadum and others were prosecuted.

[56][57][58] Employees of Air Mauritius lodged official complaints in May 2024 with the Prime Minister's Office, ICAC about the approval process and discounts received by CEO Charles Cartier and six of his family members who were upgraded to Business Class during a trip to South Africa.

In their letter, these employees recalled that Cartier's predecessor Krešimir Kučko and his Chief Financial Officer, Laval Ah Chip, were stood down in 2023 after being investigated for benefitting from an all-expenses-paid stay in a hotel in France from a leasing company which also happened to be a key supplier of Air Mauritius.

[62] As of October 2018[update], Air Mauritius served 22 destinations from its hub in Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, two of them[63] domestic.

[81] As of December 2024[update], the Air Mauritius fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[82] The airline also operates two Bell 206 JetRanger helicopters that are used for tour services.