DUESSELDORF COMPLETES NEW DESTINATION DOUBLE FOR AIR SEYCHELLES
(Posted 31st March 2017)
When the Seychelles government a few years ago decided to sell a 40 percent stake in national airline Air Seychelles to Abu Dhabi’s flag carrier Etihad, were political opportunists on the islands swift to cry sell out and give away. Yet, at the time was Air Seychelles under the CEO’ship of Bram Stellar heading for the status of a single aircraft operator, by all looks of it moribund and probably beyond recovery after all main routes of the airline to Europe and Asia were axed.
What happened next is an aviation miracle of sorts as Cramer Bell, brought in by Etihad to help restructure Air Seychelles and turn the airline around, began the long road of recovery for the ‘Creole Spirit‘.
Step by step were loss making functions shifted from the Seychelles to Abu Dhabi, such as aircraft maintenance and crew training, while at the same time embarking on a complete fleet overhaul.
Today does the airline operate two Airbus A330’s, two Airbus A320’s and six newly acquired Twin Otters for domestic services and has attained four star status by industry leader Skytrax as one of the Indian Ocean’s best carriers.
After adding such destinations like Antananarivo and Mumbai over the past two years while expanding flight frequencies to Johannesburg and Mauritius too, has Air Seychelles yesterday done a ‘D – Double‘ when first launching Durban and then Duesseldorf flights, both new cities to be served initially twice a week.
Durban flights are operated on Airbus A320 aircraft while Duesseldorf flights have seen the latest acquisition, another Airbus A330 deployed on the route.
Demand from both cities are said to be high, for both the Seychelles and out of Durban in particular for connecting flights too which offer a seamless onward service to Mumbai and new destination Duesseldorf among others.
The Duesseldorf flight launch was attended by the airline’s CEO Roy Kinnear and the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Mrs. Sherin Francis as well as invited guests from the German tour and travel fraternity, airport management and partner Etihad.
Said Roy on arrival in Duesseldorf: ‘We’re delighted to begin serving the beautiful city of Düsseldorf, providing air travellers with twice-weekly connections to our tropical islands. The Seychelles archipelago has historically been well-loved by leisure travellers from Germany, more than 10,000 of whom have already visited in 2017, and this number will continue to grow with our convenient new air links. Holidaymakers are clearly excited about our Düsseldorf service and they can look forward to a truly exceptional service from our award-winning cabin crew that is based on the genuine, warm friendliness of the Seychelles culture. Air Seychelles has now expanded its European network to Paris and Düsseldorf, reaching a new height of success, and as such it’s fitting to celebrate this fantastic achievement at the highest lounge bar in Germany‘.
Happy Landings to crews and passengers flying to and from the two new destinations to the paradise islands of the Seychelles.
