Airlines around the world have been forced to ground their planes after governments imposed travel restrictions and locked borders to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 52-year old carrier, which ferries 1.7 million passengers a year to 22 destinations across four continents, said the pandemic had struck just as the company was seeking to change its business model to address existing financial problems.

A. Sattar Hajee Abdoula and Arvindsingh K. Gokhool, have been appointed as administrators, the Air Mauritius board said in a statement.

Other airlines have suffered a similar fate, with Virgin Australia and South Africa Airways having called in administrators.

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Omar Mohammed; Editing by David Goodman)