Mauritania Airlines: Fleet, Routes and the Carrier's Operational Problems

A small, mixed fleet

The fleet numbers about six aircraft of different types: a Boeing 737-700, a 737-800, a 737 MAX 8 and a few Embraer ERJ-145/175 jets. A mix this varied for a fleet of this size means higher maintenance and management costs than a uniform fleet would.

The problem of real availability

During 2025, only a small part of the fleet was actually operational at any given time, forcing the airline to rely on short-term wet lease contracts with third-party operators such as MedAir, AirExplore, BH Air, Danish Air Transport and SmartLynx to keep its main routes running.

Routes: West Africa and a bridge to Europe

The network links Nouakchott to several West African capitals such as Dakar, Bamako, Abidjan and Conakry, as well as Tunis and Casablanca as transit hubs, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as the only direct link to Europe.

What this means in practice for anyone booking

The combination of a small fleet, a high average aircraft age and frequent reliance on wet leases translates into a higher-than-average regional risk of cancellations and last-minute changes, something to take seriously when planning your trip.

Mauritania Airlines is still useful if you need to reach Nouakchott from a West African capital where direct connections are few anyway. Avoid it if you have a tight connection right after arrival or a commitment on a fixed date, given the real risk of cancellations tied to fleet availability. The practical tip: before you leave, check the status of your flight in the 24 to 48 hours beforehand, not just on the day itself, because schedule changes caused by fleet problems are often announced at very short notice.