From Reuters:
“Holders of around $70 million in troubled bonds issued on behalf of state-owned Air Seychelles have filed a petition to wind up the African airline, they said in a statement, after a standoff over the unpaid debt.
The move is the latest effort by creditors to recover $1.2 billion owed by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and airlines it partly owned when the debt was issued in 2015 and 2016, such as Air Seychelles.”
Read the full report:
Air Seychelles will be resuming scheduled passenger flights to the neighboring island of Mauritius this October, after an absence of more than 18 months on the route.
The return of the Seychelles flag carrier to the Indian Ocean Island, follows the announcement of the full reopening of the Mauritius borders starting from October 1, 2021, leading to further ease in movement for fully vaccinated travelers looking to explore the many treasures the tropical destination has to offer.
The flights between Seychelles and Mauritius are set to start on October 3, 2021.
Flights will be operated twice per week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The flight schedule between Seychelles and Mauritius starting October 3, 2021 are as follows:
| Flight Number | Origin | Destination | Depart | Arrive | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HM049 | Seychelles | Mauritius | 10:00hrs | 12:35hrs | Wednesdays and Sundays |
| HM048 | Mauritius | Seychelles | 13:25hrs | 16:10hrs | Wednesdays and Sundays |
Air Seychelles has made this announcement:
Air Seychelles will resume direct services from Johannesburg to the Seychelles and Maldives on June 5, 2021.
The flights will be operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays from O R Tambo International Airport to the Seychelles and will also include an overnight service on Saturday nights to provide more flexibility to those planning a quick getaway. To maximize their holiday, travelers can also book their connections from Johannesburg up to Praslin without having to overnight in Mahé.
Air Seychelles flight HM060 will depart O R Tambo International Airport at 13:30hrs to arrive in the Seychelles at 20:45hrs, whilst flight HM061 bound to South Africa will depart the archipelago at 9:25hrs to arrive in Johannesburg at 12:30hrs. The overnight Saturday service will depart from Johannesburg at 00:45hrs (Sunday) to arrive in Seychelles at 7:45hrs.
To offer greater choice and connectivity to travelers thinking of an all-inclusive vacation or a stunning retreat on a private island, the flights departing Johannesburg on Friday evenings to Maldives will do the trick.
Making an intermediate stop briefly in the Seychelles before continuing onto Male’s International Airport, the returning flights from Male scheduled on Saturdays will provide travelers a full week of complete relaxation in the Maldives.
The flights to be served by the airlines’ A320neo aircraft.
In other news, Air Seychelles will operate more flights from Seychelles to Dubai this July.
The weekly service starting from July 1 until July 24, 2021 utilizing the airlines’ A320neo jetliner will provide a total of 840 seats on this route. To provide leisure and business travelers the chance to plan a quick getaway to Dubai, the airline will also operate an additional flight on 18 July, 2021.
The scheduled service will depart Seychelles International Airport on Thursday afternoon, whilst the returning flight from Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 will operate every Friday morning.
Top Copyright Photo: Air Seychelles Airbus A320-251N WL S7-VEV (msn 8972) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 950492.
Air Seychelles aircraft slide show:
Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has taken delivery of Africa’s first A320neo on lease from CDB Aviation, becoming the first African airline to operate the A320neo aircraft.
The new aircraft will allow Air Seychelles to increase capacity on its network, while delivering significant fuel savings and reducing the airline’s operating costs. Air Seychelles’ new A320neo is equipped with a new inflight product reflecting the latest trends in air travel industry, offering passengers greater level of comfort and an enhanced travel experience. With its widest single-aisle cabin, the A320neo allows Air Seychelles to offer unmatched comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18-inch-wide seats in economy as standard.
The A320neo is the world’s most advanced and fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft. Air Seychelles’ A320neo jetliner is powered by the new-generation LEAP-1A engine from CFM International and features large, fuel-saving wingtip devices known as Sharklets.
With the addition of 32 new Airbus operators in the continent since 2010, today 243 Airbus aircraft are flown by African airlines, out of which, 145 aircraft are A320 Family. This is a testament to the appeal and performance of the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family across the continent.
Photo: Airbus.
Air Seychelles has announced the commencement of a new service linking the Seychelles and Israel’s largest metropolitan area, Tel Aviv effective November 27, 2019.
The new service will be operated on Wednesday evenings from the Seychelles with the returning flight departing Tel Aviv a week later. The flight has been carefully timed to provide business and leisure traveller’s convenient connections over the Seychelles to Mauritius, Johannesburg and Mumbai.
The 6 hour and 20 minutes flight will be operated by the airlines’ new Airbus A320neo aircraft ‘Veuve, S7-VEV’ of 12 Business Class and 156 Economy Class seats scheduled to be delivered by the end of July, featuring the new inflight entertainment platform SeyStream that will allow free wireless downloads of movies and TV shows on guests personal devices.
The national airline will also be adding El Al Airlines to its list of interline partners as part of its network expansion to provide onward connections to over 20 destinations across Europe via the Ben Gurion International Airport.
Air Seychelles is reorganizing to ensure its long-term sustainability. The flag carrier issued this statement about the aggressive moves it is making:
Air Seychelles has announced a new strategic transformation plan aimed at ensuring the long-term profitability and sustainability for the airline.
The plan, aimed at responding to rapidly increasing competition in the air travel sector, has been approved by Air Seychelles’ Supervisory Board and both shareholders, the Government of the Republic of Seychelles and Etihad Airways.
Jean Weeling-Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: “The aviation industry is fiercely competitive and will become even more so in 2018 as some of the largest carriers begin flying to Seychelles. This transformation plan has been designed to restructure the Air Seychelles business to meet the challenges of the future while continuing to deliver strong results for the economy and people of Seychelles.”
The Seychelles archipelago will see a major influx of inbound seat capacity in 2018. In addition to airlines already operating to Seychelles – Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Austrian Airways, Sri Lankan and Condor; British Airways has announced plans to launch flights from London to Seychelles in March, followed by Air France introducing services from Paris in May and the Edelweiss Air launching flights from Zurich in September 2018, creating overcapacity on Seychelles-bound services from Europe. This will create significant downward pressure on airfares and negatively affect the loads and forward bookings on Air Seychelles’ current three-per-week Paris operation.
To reduce the financial impact of such competition, Air Seychelles will consolidate its international network by suspending its Paris service effective April 24, 2018 and exit the two leased Airbus A330-200 aircraft (top) out of the fleet. As part of the network efficiency development strategy, and considering the high dependence on the Paris traffic feed, the airline will at the same time discontinue its Antananarivo service.
All guests scheduled to fly on the Paris and Antananarivo routes beyond that date will be re-accommodated on other flights and will be notified of the changes to their itineraries.
Remco Althuis, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “The launch of competing air services from Europe to Seychelles will significantly impact Air Seychelles’ flights to and from Paris, which account for approximately 30% of total passenger revenue at the airline, making the route unsustainable in the long-term.
“After considering all the options, we have taken the decision to withdraw from both Paris and Antananarivo and refocus on our core strengths – our domestic and regional networks. Doing so will enable us to concentrate on more profitable areas of the business, while people in Seychelles will continue to have non-stop access to France and wider Europe through airlines that can operate at more efficient international scale than Air Seychelles.”
As part of this strategic transformation, Air Seychelles will replace its regional fleet of two Airbus A320 aircraft (above) with the next generation aircraft in 2019, enabling the airline to offer greater levels of comfort while increasing seat capacities and reducing operational costs.
In addition, the airline will concentrate on developing its domestic operations, including inter-island flights between Mahé and Praslin, scenic flight packages and island charters, which are set to play an increasingly important role as more international travellers visit the archipelago.
These developments will be coupled by a number of new cost-saving and revenue-generating initiatives in 2018, including projects aimed at strengthening non-airline areas of the business such as ground handling, cargo handling and engineering services.
The Air Seychelles product and service offering will also be reviewed to reflect the latest trends in air travel and provide an enhanced experience through the Air Seychelles website and other digital platforms.
Mr. Althuis said: “The key differentiator of Air Seychelles has always been its creole spirit and exceptional service, and we will explore ways of building on this foundation while developing our offering to better meet the needs of modern travellers, who are increasingly looking for a more personalised travel experience. Our goal will be to restructure our cost base while retaining all the standout qualities that make Air Seychelles so unique.”
This refocusing of the business will include a reduced workforce in cabin crew and pilots, as well as supporting flight and commercial roles. Air Seychelles will provide compensatory packages to affected staff as well as support with job searches and employment.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Air Seychelles): Air Seychelles (Etihad Airways) Airbus A330-243 A6-EYZ (msn 807) CDG (Christian Volpati Collection). Image: 931621.
Air Seychelles aircraft slide show:
Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has announced the resumption of flights to Antananarivo starting from 12 January 2018.
The recommencement of flights follows a travel directive from the Seychelles Ministry of Health which has allowed Air Seychelles to resume air services to Madagascar.
Air Seychelles temporarily suspended operations to the island earlier this year following health concerns over a plague outbreak, and has reviewed the situation on a weekly basis in consultation with the health authorities of Seychelles.
The Mahé-based carrier will operate a two-per-week service between Seychelles and the Malagasy capital, using an Airbus A320 aircraft with 136 seats.
Flight HM755 will depart Seychelles on Fridays and Sundays at 12.00pm and arrive at Antananarivo’s Ivato International Airport at 13.45pm the same day. The return flight HM754 is set to take off from the Malagasy capital on Fridays and Sundays at 14.50pm, arriving at Seychelles International Airport later in the afternoon at 18.35pm.
In addition to offering a direct air link between Seychelles and Madagascar, the flights have been conveniently timed to offer easy one-stop connections between Madagascar and Paris via Seychelles.
Image: Air Seychelles.
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi), its airport services business and five of its equity partners have successfully completed an innovative new platform financing transaction, raising $500 million on the international markets.
According to the group, “Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, Airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Jet Airways have together taken a new step forward in their strategic business development through this unique fund-raising initiative.”
The group continued:
“At a series of roadshow meetings, held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and London, the shared vision and strategies of the airlines were laid out to financial institutions. These highlighted the growing network coordination and revenue development initiatives, coupled with joint procurement and business synergy projects, across the airlines.”
Allocation of the funds raised will be nearly 20 percent each to Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, Airberlin and Alitalia; 16 percent to Jet Airways; and the remainder to Air Serbia and Air Seychelles.
The funds raised by the transaction will be used largely for capital expenditure and investment in fleet, as well as for refinancing, depending on each individual airline’s needs.
The transaction marks the first time that Etihad Airways and its partners have raised funds together. To date, Etihad Airways has already raised in excess of $11 billion (US) from more than 80 financial institutions, to help fund its expansion strategy.
The funds have been raised through a special purpose vehicle, EA Partners IBV. Goldman Sachs International, ADS Securities and Anoa Capital are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering.
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380-861 A6-APA (msn 166) departs from London (Heathrow).
Etihad Airways aircraft slide show: 
Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, this morning (November 30) celebrated a historic occasion as its first Airbus A320 touched down at Seychelles International Airport.
The aircraft, named “Amirantes” in honor of a group of coral islands discovered in the Seychelles archipelago in the 16th century, was welcomed by a traditional water cannon salute after landing at 9:30 am.
“Our new Airbus A320 will be used to launch three new routes, including Mumbai, Dar es Salaam and Antananarivo, representing the fastest rate of expansion our airline has ever seen. We have been able to accomplish this incredible feat thanks also to the support of our equity partner, Etihad Airways.
The aircraft has a two-cabin configuration comprising 16 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class.
Photo: Air Seychelles. The Airbus A320 is leased from partner Etihad Airways.
Air Seychelles aircraft slide show:
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) today (October 8) unveiled Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand which brings together like-minded airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.
Initially, six airlines will participate in the new partnership – Airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Jet Airways, Darwin Airline (Etihad Regional), and Etihad Airways.
However, any airline can become an Etihad Airways Partner even if it is part of an existing alliance, such as Airberlin, which is a member of oneworld.
The key emphasis for Etihad Airways Partners is a strong commercial partnership and shared values.
James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said “We are broadening our business model to articulate and define a partner proposition for like-minded airlines which will result in synergies and efficiencies for participating airlines on the one side, and enhanced network choice, service and frequent flyer benefits for the consumer on the other.
“The Etihad Airways Partners logo is a seal of excellence and global cooperation. It will be displayed on aircraft and on branded materials by a group of airlines working together to connect travellers around the world, and increasingly to harmonise standards in the air and on the ground.”
Mr Hogan said Etihad Airways Partners differed from legacy airline alliances by offering benefits well beyond pure commercial cooperation.
“The potential for network alignment to maximise flight connectivity for passengers, together with a shared passion for superior service, are central to the ethos of the Etihad Airways Partner concept,” he said.
“Frequent flyers will benefit from the formation of Etihad Airways Partners as it will remove the complexity and confusion that exists within the global alliances.
“We’re aiming to deliver a consistent experience for frequent flyers when they travel, as well as a consistent framework for earning and using their miles.”
This will include standardised mileage and tier benefits across all partners, no blackout periods and priority services.
Etihad Airways Partners will also have access to economies of scale and operational synergies such as centers of excellence, shared sales teams in certain destinations, joint procurement of services and supplies, and shared pilot and cabin crew training at the Etihad Airways facilities in Abu Dhabi.
Above Photo: (Left to right): Maurizio Merlo, CEO Darwin Airline; Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO airberlin; James Hogan, President and CEO Etihad Airways; Cramer Ball, CEO Jet Airways; Dane Kondić, CEO Air Serbia, Manoj Papa, CEO Air Seychelles; celebrate the launch of Etihad Airways Partners.
Etihad Airways: 