Johannesburg ( CNN ) -- A plane carrying Madagascar 's ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana was turned away from Madagascan airspace Saturday as he tried to return from exile , his spokesman and the airline said . Ravalomanana , who had been in South Africa in exile , took off from Johannesburg Saturday morning in what was his second bid to return to his home country . But Ravalomanana 's spokesman Patrick Gearing , in South Africa , told CNN that the civil aviation authorities on the Indian Ocean island had closed the airspace , refusing the plane permission to land . By Saturday afternoon the plane -- and Ravalomanana -- were back in South Africa , said Gearing . Ravalomanana was ousted in March 2009 through a coup backed by the military , which handed power to current President Andry Rajoelina , the youthful former mayor of Antananarivo . Shortly before boarding his flight to the capital , Antananarivo , Ravalomanana said that he had just spoken with the Madagascan Prime Minister Omer Beriziky , who told him `` everything was OK. '' Speaking before the flight took off , Gearing said : `` He has no control over what will happen to him when he arrives but he is prepared to face whatever comes his way . '' Ravalomanana 's previous unsuccessful effort to return last year came to an end in Johannesburg , when the airline he was using was told it would n't be allowed to land if he was on board . Madagascar is in the process of implementing a peace agreement facilitated by a regional body , the South African Development Community . Gearing says Ravalomanana met with South Africa 's President Jacob Zuma Friday to thank him for letting him stay following his ouster . U.S. and South African diplomatic sources tell CNN his return would be catastrophic for any peace process going forward . CNN 's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report .
NEW : Ravalomanana plane has arrived in South Africa after being turned away . Marc Ravalomanana 's was ousted from South Africa in last year following a military-backed coup . He has been living in exile in Madagascar . Efforts have been under way to restore peace to the Indian Ocean island .