Air Seychelles, now promoting itself as an Etihad Airways Partner, has introduced three new routes to its network from Mahé (SEZ), thanks to the arrival of a new A320 at the end of November. On 2 December it began twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Sundays) flights to Dar es Salaam (DAR) in Tanzania and thrice-weekly (Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays) flights to Mumbai (BOM) in India. The following day, service began to Antananarivo (TNR) operating twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays).

None of these routes are served by any other carrier. Commenting on the Mumbai route launch Manoj Papa, CEO, Air Seychelles said, “Mumbai is the sixth most-populated city in the world and represents a key strategic addition to our growing route portfolio. 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. We will continue to work closely with our equity partner, Etihad Airways, which has a strong and growing presence in India, and our Etihad partner, Jet Airways, to ensure our on-going success in this exciting market.”

Commenting on the new route to Tanzania he said, “Dar es Salaam is a great addition to our network and represents a new growth phase for our airline. With a population of over four million people, the second-largest port in East Africa, and great connections to popular game parks and tourism attractions, such as snow-capped Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam is well-positioned to stimulate tourism and commercial activity on both ends. Our twice-weekly service, which has an annual capacity of over 28,000 seats, will enable us to continue to deliver on our mandate to support the national economy, and in particular, tourism.

This achievement has been made possible by the continued support of our close partner, Etihad Airways, which has enabled us to widen and deepen our network through the acquisition of our first Airbus A320, strengthen feed into Seychelles and position Mahé as an efficient hub for connecting East Africa to regions such as the Middle East, Asia and the Indian subcontinent.”