Air Seychelles, the national carrier of the Republic of Seychelles, has commenced thrice-weekly flights to the Indian city of Mumbai. The maiden flight was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute and by a party of dignitaries and airport representatives.
Manoj Papa, Chief Executive Officer, Air Seychelles; Sherin Naiken, Chief Executive Officer, Seychelles Tourism Board; government officials, tourism and trade partners, senior executives from the carrier and representatives from the Indian and business communities were present on the inaugural flight.
Papa said the new Mumbai flights would meet growing demand for business and leisure travel between India and the Seychelles, as well as the Indian Ocean and East Africa. “Our three weekly services, which have a capacity of over 21,000 annual seats, will increase the flow of tourism and trade from India into Seychelles and help boost traffic to our archipelago from the wider Asia region. As a popular gateway to India, we have optimised our schedule to offer seamless two-way connections from Mumbai to cities such as Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad, simplifying the travel options for both inbound and outbound passengers. We expect strong feed to Seychelles and our new destinations, Dar es Salaam and Antananarivo, as well as Mauritius and Johannesburg, all of which have a sizeable Indian diaspora.”
He added that the airline will continue to work closely with its equity partner Etihad Airways, which has a strong and growing presence in India, and Etihad’s partner, Jet Airways, to ensure on-going success in the Indian market. Air Seychelles’ service is operated on a newly appointed Airbus A320, configured into a twin-cabin setting and 16 Business Class and 120 Economy Class seats.
