Inaugural flight from Seychelles to Abu Dhabi takes off

Air Seychelles has this week launched its first inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi. This will include two frequencies flying out from Seychelles on Mondays and Saturdays. This newly-added sector forms part of the Air Seychelles restructuring program since it entered in the strategic partnership with Etihad Airways. The destination will now be served by six weekly flights to Abu Dhabi of which two frequencies will be operated by Air Seychelles and the other four by Etihad Airways.

The send-off of the flight yesterday saw the presence of Air Seychelles CEO, Cramer Ball; CEO Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, Gilbert Faure; CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Elsia Grandcourt; and other management staff of the Air Seychelles team. The clients boarded the flight to the sound of the local musical group, “Fek Arive.”

“Today we are pleased to see that Air Seychelles is re-establishing itself in the region, and we are positive that we will see growth on the visitor arrival numbers from the region,” said Elsia Grandcourt of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

Seychelles has lost its fair share of its tourism market from France, Italy, and the UK when Air Seychelles discontinued its flights to Europe. Air access remains key to the success of these islands’ tourism industry, and the present debate among the private sector relates to the need, or not, of direct flights to Paris.

More connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles will help consolidate another hub in the Middle East, which is also already well served from Dubai via Emirates and Doha via Qatar Airways.