As part of a two-year business plan to improve Air Seychelles’ fortunes and position it as a premium carrier the airline has announced increased flights to Johannesburg, Mauritius and Abu Dhabi.

The two-year plan will see Air Seychelles renew its fleet, take advantage of equity partner Etihad Airways’ ‘know how’ and reputation as well as its global route network, maximise efficiencies and boost sales opportunities.

The plan was announced subsequent to the first meeting of the new Air Seychelles Board of Directors following the purchase by Etihad Airways of a 40% share in January.  

In addition to the increased frequencies to Johannesburg, Mauritius and Abu Dhabi other highlights of the plan include:

•    The introduction of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft
•    The launch of services to Beijing in early 2013, offering through connections to Johannesburg via the Seychelles
•    Closer cooperation with Etihad Airways to identify economies of scale and synergies in staff training, procurement and product development
•    Extended codeshare operations with Etihad Airways to connect the Seychelles, through Abu Dhabi, with a global network of passenger and cargo destinations

Considerable focus will be placed on leveraging Etihad Airways’ expertise in strengthening Air Seychelles’ overall guest experience and service delivery standards.

The increased codesharing with Etihad Airways is expected to open up a potential network of 73 passenger destinations in 49 countries, connecting the Seychelles with the world.