Air Mauritius will launch a direct flight to Shanghai from July 5, 2011.

This makes Shanghai the carrier's 25th destination and its fourth in East Asia. The airline already flies to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

The flight will be via Kuala Lumpur and will offer connections from and to Reunion, Antananarivo, and South Africa.

Andre Viljoen, the airline's acting CEO, stated that this direct operations will pave the way for closer ties between China and Mauritius. He added that this flight is a first step in the development in one of the world's fastest growing economies, the airline hopes that its tourism partners will find new opportunities for growth as it diversifies tourism market.