SEYCHELLES’ TOURISM INDUSTRY TAKES HOPE AS FIRST AEROFLOT FLIGHT LANDS ON MAHE
(Posted 04th April 2021)]
Aeroflot operated its first flight from Moscow to Mahe with 387 passengers on board their Boeing B77 aircraft. Besides the tourists was also a consignment of Sputnik V vaccines on board, aiding the Seychelles’ government efforts to vaccinate the entire adult population of the archipelago in their fight against #COVID19.
Aeroflot had previously operated flights to the Seychelles until 2003 but then halted the service, now returning with two flights per week.
The welcoming ceremony saw key tourism figures from the Seychelles meet passengers and crew, including Ministers Derjacques and Radegonde, Principal Secretary Ms. Anne Lafortune, Seychelles Tourism CEO Mrs. Sherin Francis but also the Russian Ambassador to the Seychelles Mr. Artyom Kozhin.
Seychelles reopened for tourist arrivals on the 25th of March and has over the first week of operation seen some 3.000 tourists stepping off their aircraft, all of whom are subject to health and safety regulations to prevent infections being brought into the archipelago from abroad.
Russian citizens can enter Seychelles visa-free, without any restrictions. Travellers are required to have a negative COVID-19 test taken no earlier than 72 hours before departure.
For the tourism industry will the new flights be a short in the proverbial arm as more airlines have indicated they plan to return to the Seychelles in April.
ATCNews had reported about the new flight https://atcnews.org/2021/03/12/air-seychelles-plans-for-a-return-to-mumbai/
