Why does Stéphane from Mafate Hélicoptères use Manawa to sell his helicopter flights in La Réunion ?

Vincent Pinto is Manawa's Sales Director. Previously the Regional Manager for France, he helped launch Manawa in 2015. A keen skateboarder, splitboarder and snorkeller, he has tried out many of the sports offered on the site.

Meeting with Stéphane from Mafate Hélicoptères in La Réunion

Mafate Hélicoptères was founded in 2002 by André Bègue, a pilot and entrepreneur from the Cirque de Mafate on La Réunion. His original goal was to transport equipment and supplies to the region's inhabitants. The cirque, a volcanic valley located in the north of the island, is a unique and unspoilt area, accessible only on foot or by helicopter.

In 2010, André's son Mathieu took over the reins of the company. Since then, Mafate Hélicoptères has expanded and diversified to include tourist flights. It offers travellers on the island the chance to fly over Réunion's volcanoes, cirques, and waterfalls, including the famous Piton de la Fournaise, as well as the Mafate, Salazie and Cilaos cirques.

Flights are operated by two of the latest-generation Écureuils AS 350 B3e helicopters (Airbus Helicopters H125).

Since 2018, Stéphane Ah-Fat has held the position of Business Development Director at Mafate Hélicoptères. He is also a private pilot.

Helicopter over Reunion Island

Flying in a helicopter is an incredible experience! Climb aboard and fly in a helicopter piloted by a professional pilot, and you'll discover exceptional panoramas that are otherwise inaccessible, while enjoying unforgettable sensations.

At Manawa, we all agree that Reunion Island is one of the world's must-see destinations for helicopter flights. On a single flight you can fly close to volcanoes such as the Piton de la Fournaise and the Piton des Neiges, near impressive waterfalls such as the Trou de Fer, in the heart of the cirques of Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate, and over the lagoons of Saint Gilles and Saint Leu!

Why does Mafate Hélicoptère work with Manawa?

Vincent Pinto: Hello Stéphane! First of all, could you introduce Mafate Hélicoptères and your role within the company?

Stéphane Ah-Fat: I've been Sales Director at Mafate Hélicoptères since 2018. Mafate Hélicoptères is a family-run company that operates in the Mafate cirque, initially to supply the local population, and which has now expanded into the transport of passengers on tourist overflights. Today, we have around a dozen employees, and we work with two new-generation H125 helicopters, flying the colours of Réunion. My job is to develop the various sales channels that will enable us to promote our offers and make it easier to book them. This includes working with Manawa.

Vincent: Could you tell us more about the helicopters you work with and how many people can be on board?

Stéphane : These H125 helicopters are new-generation machines which are very flexible and high-performance. The helicopter can carry six passengers at the same time and each seat has a panoramic view.

Vincent : Great. Do you remember when we started working together?

Stéphane: I think we met in November 2018 and started working together at the very beginning of 2019. We met at the IFTM Top Résa show in Paris, if I'm not mistaken.

Vincent : Yes, that's exactly it. It was right at the time when you decided to launch into the tourist flight business. Talking of our first meeting, what did you retain from our initial discussions? What motivated you to work with us?

Stéphane : We work with several resellers, but Manawa has stood out for its consistency and the fact that we have a very good relationship with the teams. Customer support is particularly good, especially if we have customers who need to make last-minute changes. We communicate on a regular basis, so it's not just 'virtual'.

Vincent : Great. And in relation to the start of the partnership, do you remember how the setting up of your activity pages went?

Stéphane: Yes, there were only two of us at the time, so we shared the responsibilities. I created the circuits, and a colleague took care of the visuals. Your team wrote the content and then sent it to us for approval. I really appreciated our discussions and your support. With other platforms, you can sometimes feel left to your own devices, but that wasn't the case with Manawa. If I had a question to ask you, I could count on you to get back to me quickly.

Vincent : In practical terms, what are the advantages of working with Manawa?

Stéphane : In concrete terms, Manawa generates a remarkable volume of business for us. So we want to continue working with you and strengthen our partnership for the future.

Vincent : Great, so do we! And in terms of time savings and efficiency?

Stéphane: Absolutely. It allows us to save time, but also to fill our flights... After that, we can see that passenger consumption patterns have changed quite a lot in recent years. A lot of customers book at the last minute, so we have to adapt to deal with this type of demand. In general, if ever we're too short, we always manage to find a solution with the customer that suits everyone.

Vincent: So, to sum up, if you had to highlight the three most important things about Manawa, what would you say?

Stéphane : I'd say the added business volume, the increased visibility for our company, and the support in managing bookings.

Vincent: In terms of working with our team, do you have any anecdotes or special stories you'd like to share with us?

Stéphane : I don't have any specific stories in mind, but I always enjoy talking to your team. When you talk to them, you hear a lot of different accents. Working with an international team that speaks several languages is a real asset for a company like ours, which welcomes customers from all over the world.

Vincent : You do get a lot of foreign customers!

Stéphane : I think the clientele has changed over the years. Before the pandemic, we had a lot more foreigners. Now we get more people from mainland France. However, more foreigners, particularly the British, are slowly coming back thanks to Manawa. Also, if I compare the customers who book directly with us versus the customers I have thanks to Manawa, I'd say that those who use Manawa are younger and more connected.

Vincent: Do you have any ideas about the next steps you'd like to take to continue developing our partnership?

Stéphane : First of all, I was thinking of renewing our visuals, to have even more attractive photos on our activities pages. We're also working on new tours, varying in length and price, to meet the needs of different types of customers. We'll be able to put these new products online once they're ready.

Vincent : Great, we'll put that in place! I think I know the answer, but would you recommend Manawa to other professionals in the sector? If so, how would you sum up what Manawa does for you in one sentence?

Stéphane: Absolutely, I'd recommend you without any hesitation. In fact, I already do! I find that Manawa offers a high-quality service and gives us a very interesting sales dynamic. What's more, you have a reliable support team that we can rely on to follow up on bookings with great professionalism.

Vincent : Great. My last question is a bit more personal... Could you share with us your fondest memory of flying in a helicopter on Reunion Island?

Stéphane : The experience that made the biggest impression on me as a pilot was when I had the opportunity to take a couple with muscular dystrophy on a helicopter flight. No other company wanted to take them because of their health problems. They were in wheelchairs, but we managed to secure them in the seats of the helicopter and we did a complete flyover of the island. When we arrived at the Trou de Fer, they were deeply moved and thanked me for giving them this experience. These are the memories that stay with you for the rest of your life.

Like Stéphane, you too can join the first booking site dedicated to outdoor and adventure activities by proposing your activities on Manawa.com: Join us!