IT IS 40 YEARS OF JET FLIGHTS INTO MAHE
The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first ever passenger jet flight into the Mahe International Airport with an open day event, highlighting the importance of air transport to the entire archipelago. Monday 04th July in 1971 did the then BOAC, aka British Overseas Airways Corporation, the predecessor of today’s British Airways, land a Boeing 707 on the islands sole international airport laying the foundation for what has today become the Seychelles main link for people from the world to visit and from the Seychelles to go abroad. An aviation and services exhibition was staged yesterday at the airport giving Seychellois the chance to learn more about what is transpiring in the aviation sector and a formal commemoration will follow tomorrow Monday, the actual anniversary date.
Changes in the recent past of the country’s aviation policy have seen in particular Gulf based mega carriers take advantage of operating more flights to Mahe, and the present 19 weekly services by Emirates and Qatar Airways are due to become 25 by the end of the year, when Emirates will have gone double daily while Etihad will have commenced their initial 4 flights a week.
Air Seychelles, the national airline, is meanwhile connecting the archipelago to Paris in a code share with Air France/KLM, but also with London, Milan, Rome, Singapore, Johannesburg and Mauritius, besides the domestic services connecting the various inner and outer islands with Mahe.
Visit www.seychelles.travel for more information on the destination, the wide range of resorts and accommodation facilities now available, destination and weather information, or simply take a holiday in the ‘Seychelles, Another World’.
2 Responses
Happened to notice the July edition stating that the Seychelles was celebrating 40 years on the 4th July that the Jet age came to the Seychelles.Congratulations .Your report however was a little incorrect in that it was not a BOAC 707 but was in fact a BOAC Super VC10. How do I know I was a 1st class passenger on this flight and the next week flight Seychelles to Nairobi and then Heathrow had a full compliment of passengers and sitting alongside of me was Lord Louis Mountbatten with whom I had the pleasure of having dinner with him chatting about his memoirs he was writing. Lots of fond memories of the people of the Seychelles and their great hospitality then and in later visits. Regards Peter Dyer
Many thanks for this factual correction that the aircraft used was in fact a VC 10, something my sources were not entirely certain about. You must have had a ball on board during that flight, including very posh company on board …
Thank you for reading my blog and I do appreciate your effort to put the facts right.
Wolfgang