Air Seychelles a four-star airline!

Air Seychelles a four-star airline!

04-January-2014
After being ranked 133rd in the world and eighth in Africa only two years ago, Air Seychelles is now a four-star airline among only 36 others worldwide, and the continent’s second best!

The good news was announced by the company’s chief executive Cramer Ball in a colourful ceremony at the Seychelles International Airport yesterday, after the airline was promoted to four-star status by the international airline ranking company Skytrax.

The Skytrax airline rankings are decided each year by the votes of 18 million passengers from 100 different countries based on an extensive audit programme which examines more than 800 different areas of product and service delivery, using rigourous quality criteria.

The grading system is recognised as the key benchmarking tool for customer satisfaction by the global airline industry.

It was no normal scene at the arrival area of the Seychelles International Airport yesterday morning as all the Air Seychelles’ big happy family had proudly gathered to jovially celebrate the event around a huge commemorative cake.

It was really a perfect way to start the New Year for one of the world’s smallest commercial aviation companies, but now officially one of the best!

Also present were the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan who is also the chairman of Air Seychelles, Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange, the tourism principal secretary Anne Lafortune, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Sherin Naiken, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) board chairman David Savy, among other invitees.

Mr Ball described the occasion as a “tremendous achievement” and took the opportunity to recall the continued progress recorded during the last two years and which has contributed to the airline’s overall success. This includes acquiring new aircrafts, extending regional and international routes, upgrading part of the Seychelles Airport’s VIP services to become the best FBOs (Fixed Base Operation) facilities in the region and access to Etihad Airways’ state-of-the-art training academy in Abu Dhabi blended with excellent ground and air service.

“We knew we were becoming a great airline and we wanted to make that official. So we invited Skytrax to audit us, to give us an independent, unbiased reading of where we stood on a global basis. [...] We had achieved our ambitious profit vision, so what about our vision to become a high quality airline? Today, I can proudly confirm that Skytrax has awarded Air Seychelles the prestigious four-star ranking, placing us firmly among the world’s airline elite,” Mr Ball said.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. We have been working very hard to enhance our product and service offering. Our new ranking places us among the very best airlines in the world and confirms the significant progress we have made during the last two years.

“The award is also indicative of the enormous commitment and effort by our staff, who with our equity partner, Etihad Airways, have worked to reshape our offering while retaining the very unique Creole warmth and hospitality for which we are renowned,” added Mr Ball.

On his part, Minister Morgan spoke of the event as one of the greatest moments in Air Seychelles’ 35-year history and a day of pride not only for Air Seychelles and its 630 hard working staff, but for the whole country.

“For Air Seychelles to attain this ranking... with a workforce that is 97% Seychellois, from a nation of only 87,000 people, well, words cannot quite capture how amazing an accomplishment that is, especially when you consider how uncertain our future looked two years ago,” an obviously emotional Minister Morgan said.

With the standing, Air Seychelles becomes the only four-star airline in the Indian Ocean and the second in Africa alongside South African Airways. With the new and upgraded status, the local carrier has joined some of the best airlines in the world like British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa and Emirates in the high ranking club of four-star airlines.

As a matter of comparison, companies such as Alitalia, American Airlines, Condor, Air Berlin, Air Austral and Air Mauritius are three-star rated airlines. While Air Italy, China United Airlines and Iran Air are only ranked as two-star airlines.

Only seven international airlines – Malaysia Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines – form the elite group of five-star airlines.

Air Seychelles has announced that its next goal is to achieve five-star status and be part of them.

The official Skytrax Airlines Star ranking is universally recognised as an independent and creditable measure of the service quality of an airline and the evaluation given is considered by the industry as both dependable and authoritative.

Air Seychelles was awarded its four-star rating after a rigorous auditing exercise by Skytrax in recent months. In June 2013, the airline leapt from 133 to 56 worldwide to join the ranks of the most improved airlines. It also achieved the position as second best airline in Africa.

Edward Plaisted, chief executive of Skytrax, said: "Air Seychelles has introduced new aircraft offering extensive product improvements, and this combined with a strong service quality ethos from their front-line staff has resulted in Air Seychelles now meeting a four-star airline rating. We congratulate Air Seychelles on this fantastic achievement, which is particularly important when one considers that the four-star airline classification includes some of the world's largest and best known airlines."

Skytrax ranks an airline’s frontline product and service standards based on an internationally recognised quality analysis system and professional evaluations. The performance analysis is completed annually and rankings are categorised by region and across the world.

The national carrier of Seychelles is now ranked as the number two airline in Africa, up eight places from its previous ranking of 10 last year, and now holds the number three spot for Best Airline Staff in Africa, a category in which the airline held no ranking last year. In addition, Air Seychelles is now ranked fourth in the Most Improved category.

Air Seychelles was established in 1978 and began long-haul service in 1983. The airline currently offers international flights to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and Mauritius.

Air Seychelles also offers more than 200 domestic scheduled flights a week throughout the archipelago, as well as domestic charter services. As the national airline of Seychelles, Air Seychelles is a pillar of tourism, the island nation’s strongest and growing economic sector.

The airline maintains a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and 40 per cent stakeholder.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=240279

Air Seychelles boosts presence in Middle East with codeshare flights to Amman

05-February-2015

Air Seychelles has expanded its reach in the Middle East by adding Amman to its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways.
Effective today (February 5), Air Seychelles will place its HM code on 14 weekly Etihad Airways’ flights between Abu Dhabi and Amman, the capital and largest city of Jordan.

This new route is the seventh codeshare point for Air Seychelles in the region, with the carrier already placing its flight code on Etihad Airways’ services to Abu Dhabi (UAE); Jeddah and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Muscat (Oman); Bahrain and Kuwait.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244420

More connections for customers as Air Seychelles and Air Madagascar sign codeshare agreement -

(Seychelles News Agency) - Barely two months after the first Air Seychelles aircraft landed in the capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo, the national airline of the Seychelles has entered into a codesharing agreement with its Madagascan counterpart, Air Madagascar.
According to a press statement issued by Air Seychelles today, the two airlines signed the agreement Wednesday evening at the Air Seychelles VIP Lounge in the Seychelles International Airport, located on the Seychelles main island of Mahé.
The deal will enable Air Seychelles to carry Air Madagascar’s MD airline designator and flight code on Air Seychelles’ twice-weekly flights between Antananarivo and Mahé, and subject to government approvals, on flights between the Seychelles capital and Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.
Flights between Seychelles and its neighbouring Indian Ocean island state of Madagascar re-commenced on 3 December 2014 after a hiatus of 33 years.
Established in 1978, Air Seychelles, which has been partly owned by Etihad Airways since 2012, offers direct international flights to Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Dar Es Salaam, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Mauritius and Paris.
Air Madagascar was created in 1947, and after Madagascar received independence from France in 1960 it became the country’s national airline, operating services to Europe, Asia and neighbouring African and Indian Ocean island destinations, as well as an extensive domestic network.



http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2316/More+connections+for+customers+as+Air+Seychelles+and+Air+Madagascar+sign+codeshare+agreement#sthash.MEnkIaGg.dpuf

Seychelles welcomes first ever Dreamliner aircraft

28-February-2015



The Seychelles International Airport witnessed another historical event yesterday afternoon when it proudly welcomed the first ever Dreamliner aircraft on its soil.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 which belongs to Ethiopian Airlines, arrived in Seychelles from Addis Ababa with over 100 passengers on board.

The passengers and the plane itself were welcomed by the chief executive of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) Gilbert Faure, dignitaries and other high officials of the SCAA, of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and Mason’s Travel, the Ethiopian Airline handling agent in Seychelles.
The officials later went on board to view the facilities.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244660

Seychelles and Italy strengthen air services rights

27-February-2015

A modern air service agreement between Seychelles and one of the world’s leading tourism market, Italy, was signed on Thursday at the Seychelles International Airport.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244653

Air Seychelles registers $3.2m profit for 2014

13-March-2015


Air Seychelles registered a net profit of US $3.2 million for the year 2014, the third consecutive year that the airline has registered a net profit.

This was revealed to Seychelles NATION by the airline’s chief executive Manoj Papa yesterday morning at the Air Seychelles’ main office at Pointe Larue as he went through the latest financial report and the various developments within Air Seychelles.

Mr Papa, who completed a year as the CEO of Air Seychelles, made the announcement with much satisfaction: “2014 has been a year of financial stability. Our total revenue went up by 20% which is US $106.9 million; our passenger numbers went up by 20% totalling 412,088; our cargo tonnage increased by 34 % to 7,311 tonnes; delivery of two DHC-6 Twin Otters, brought forward from 2015, and one Airbus A320 and we have been awarded the Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline – Business Class and Best Cabin Crew.”

“We have a clear mandate which is to maximise profitability and become the economic enabler of the country by promoting tourism and trade. But we would not achieve this success without the full support of our shareholders and Air Seychelles staff,” said Mr Papa.

He noted that the result exceeds last year’s profit of US $3 million and reflects continued improvement in the airline’s key performance indicators, following Etihad Airways’ acquisition of a 40 per cent share in 2012 and the implementation of a turnaround plan to create a sustainable business.

With the profit registered, the question asked by employees is will there be an increase in salary? Explaining the process of salary calculation within the company, Mr Papa said: “The airline currently employs more than 650 Seychellois in an environment where commitment and performance are recognised, and where training and development is of the highest international standards.We are focusing mainly on training of our staff, exposing them to the best practice. It is a huge investment for us to send our staff for training. With the partnership with Etihad, we are making the most of their training facility instead of investing huge amount to have our own training facility. In 2013, we introduced the ‘I Achieve’ performance programme and we saw its maturity last year. Each individual within the company are assessed through this programme and receive the necessary coaching, training and mentoring to improve their performance.
Increase and bonuses will be based on this system and last year we saw a shift of 80% in the performance of our staff. The good thing about this is it is making Air Seychelles become a result driven organization.”

In line with this commitment, Air Seychelles introduced a Graduate Management Development Programme two years ago and now has 14 Seychellois graduate managers. The programme is run in Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways and supervised by Air Seychelles. It includes formal training and enables graduate managers to work in many different areas of Etihad Airways.Cabin crew also benefit from world-class safety and service training at the Etihad Airways Training Academy in Abu Dhabi, alongside crew from Etihad Airways partner airlines around the world.

“The first group of graduates has returned to Air Seychelles with new skills and experiences and they have now taken up roles as managers in our rapidly evolving organisation where they are making an important contribution. The graduate programme is a tangible benefit of our partnership with Etihad Airways and demonstrates our commitment to bringing opportunities to Seychellois. Setting high standards through ongoing training and development is a defining feature of Air Seychelles as its reputation as an employer of choice grows in the country,” Mr Papa said.

Last year, Air Seychelles started to fly to Dar-es-salaam, Antananarivo and Mumbai. Some criticised the decision of flying to Dar-es-salaam and Antananarivo saying these flights were not profitable or successful.

“When we set up a new destination, we do have a proper marketing research done and we work on demands. When we launched the two regional lines, we wanted to attract the large business community in Dar-es-Salaam and French tourism from Madagascar that connects through our flights. Any new destination needs time to develop and it takes time to grow. Air Seychelles is working closely with Air Madagascar to increase our marketing. I want to assure your readers that we are constantly monitoring where the demand is and keep promoting Seychelles as a tourism destination,” explained the CEO.

Other new development in flight is the introduction of a purely Seychellois dish on the Air Seychelles flights. “We introduced red snapper curry and this is by far our most popular dish,” said the CEO.

He also mentioned the partnership with various tourism organisations to increase sale on Air Seychelles thus an increase in the sale of hotel rooms.

“Recently we were able to fly 500 Chinese tourists to Seychelles and this is possible with the collaboration of the various stakeholders,” noted Mr Papa.

What next for our national carrier? “We will keep building on what we have established already. While the competitive environment remains challenging, these results show we are progressively consolidating and building on our achievements. I am very confident in the future of Air Seychelles; we have a committed team, we are building the long term capability of the Seychellois workforce and we have the strong support of our shareholders, the government of Seychelles and Etihad Airways.Our strategy is to use Seychelles’ unique position in the Indian Ocean to capture the strong travel flows between East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean, the UAE and the Indian subcontinent.

Joël Morgan, Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport and Air Seychelles’ board chairman, said in a press statement: “The continued strengthening of the business is very pleasing and is a result of an effective management team, committed workforce, and a strong and trusted partnership with Etihad Airways.

Currently Air Seychelles offers international flights to Abu Dhabi, Antanarivo, Dar-es-Salaam, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Mumbai and Paris and offers more than 200 domestic flights per week.

The airline’s codeshare partners include Etihad Airways, South African Airways, airberlin, Alitalia and Hong Kong Airlines, which feed traffic onto Air Seychelles’ network while providing greater convenience and choice for travellers.

During the year, Air Seychelles signed two new codeshare agreements - with Alitalia to Rome and Venice, and with Hong Kong Airlines to Bangkok.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244783

Air Seychelles transitions from ‘shaky past’ to ‘exciting future’

25-March-2015
Air Seychelles has transformed itself from a little-known Indian Ocean airline to a confident national and international carrier, contributing solidly to the economic growth of the Republic of Seychelles, the airline’s chief executive Manoj Papa said yesterday.

“At the half-way mark of a five-year strategic partnership with our 40 per cent shareholder, Etihad Airways, Air Seychelles has introduced new aircraft and destinations, developed partnerships to increase flight connectivity, won several major awards and evolved from a carrier with an uncertain future to an important niche partner in a global airline network,” Mr Papa said.

His comments coincided with a visit to the Seychelles by the International Monetary Fund, which is conducting a periodic review of the nation’s economy.
As part of this assessment, the IMF reviewed the airline’s profit and loss, balance sheet, and strategic plan.

While the airline’s management detailed to the IMF significant growth in the business and improvement in key indicators, the IMF observed that the airline had declared a profit at a net level, which includes all revenue and costs, but had incurred a loss at an operating level.

The IMF expressed that Air Seychelles should also disclose financial results at an operating level, in addition to results at a net level.
Mr Papa said: “We have achieved three successive net profits, each of which have been audited in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards by the global accounting group KPMG. In three years, we have invested significantly in developing Seychelles as a hub for traffic between East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean, the United Arab Emirates and the Indian sub-continent, and have launched routes to Paris, Antananarivo, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam. Each of these will typically take three years to cover their start-up and operating costs, in line with industry standards. Our business plan, from which we have not deviated, is well on track to achieving our long-term goal of healthy and sustainable operating profitability.”

The airline’s chairman, Joel Morgan, the Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, recently endorsed the airline’s plan and progress on the occasion of the announcement of its 2014 financial performance, which resulted in a US $3.2 million net profit.

Mr Morgan said: “The government supports Air Seychelles’ strategy to operate a commercially sustainable and profitable airline by developing a strong and connected network, which meets the demand of both business and leisure travellers. With further significant financial support from its shareholders, we hope Air Seychelles can announce a further expansion of its network in its key markets as well as new markets in 2015, thereby increasing its economic contribution to Seychelles.”

Tourism accounts for approximately 20 per cent of the gross domestic product of the Seychelles, and some 15 per cent of the nation’s jobs.
“For the economy to be strong and resilient, Air Seychelles must continue to grow, to promote Seychelles internationally and to continue delivering tourists,” Mr Papa said.

“To do so requires us to constantly identify and act upon opportunities. Our next phase of growth will include introducing three nonstop flights per week between Seychelles and Paris, further strengthening the tourism industry and the broader economy of Seychelles. But our job is not finished, and with the continued strong support of our shareholders, we will build upon our successes of recent years to become an even stronger airline for the Seychelles, its people and the growing number of visitors we will bring to our home.”

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244898

Air Seychelles to boost its regional network

27-March-2015


Air Seychelles will dramatically increase weekly frequencies on its regional network from April 2015, ahead of the launch of its three weekly non-stop Paris flights from July 2015, which will replace the current twice-weekly service to the French capital via Abu Dhabi.

This non-stop Paris service will continue to be operated to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport on an Air Seychelles Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister Joël Morgan who is also Air Seychelles chairman, said: “The government of Seychelles strongly endorses the non-stop flights between Paris and Seychelles. It was always part of the plan to return to Paris non-stop when the time was right.

“This service will connect to one of Europe’s most popular and well positioned hubs, which will give a further boost to arrival numbers from this core market, thereby making an even bigger contribution to the national economy of Seychelles,” Minister Morgan said.

Air Seychelles’ chief executive Manoj Papa said: “The non-stop Paris flight is an exciting development that has been unanimously welcomed by the travel trade.

“In order to deliver further benefits to travellers, the service will be coupled with a considerable deepening of our regional network, which is designed to meet the demand for travel between East Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East, connecting across our Seychelles hub. We are continuing to build flexibility and convenience into our regional network for business and leisure travellers.

“We will work closely with tourism bodies and trade partners in Seychelles and abroad, who have a crucial role in making this enhanced international and regional network a success,” Mr Papa said.

The regional network development strategy will see Air Seychelles substantially upgrade Mauritius and Mumbai to a four-per-week service and operate an additional third weekly flight to Antananarivo, bringing an additional 21,000 regional return seats to Seychelles per year.

Including its current scheduled services to Dar es Salaam (two weekly flights) and Johannesburg (three weekly flights), this regional network enhancement will now see Air Seychelles offer 16 return services per week in the Indian Ocean region, up from 13 previously.

In addition, Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles will together offer a double daily service between Seychelles and Abu Dhabi, up from its current 13 flights per week. The double daily service will offer seamless connections onto the wider Etihad Airways’ network.

Building on access to the China market, the three-per-week service between Seychelles and Hong Kong will be incorporated into a daily codeshare service operated by Etihad Airways, providing guests with access to and from Hong Kong on every day of the week. The service, operated on an Air Seychelles-liveried Airbus A330-200 three times a week, will have an Air Seychelles ambassador in both the Business Class and Economy Class cabins, thereby promoting the Creole Spirit.

Mr Papa said, based on the success of the flights between Beijing and Seychelles in February, Air Seychelles would continue to develop the very important Chinese market.

“The Chinese market has enormous potential for the airline. It also has the potential to be a key economic stimulus for the economy of Seychelles, as the two recent flights with more than 500 Chinese tourists testified.

“We are generating interest in the Chinese market and responding to requests from several large tour operators for charter operations,” Mr Papa said.

To support the deepening regional network, an important platform for the ongoing growth of Air Seychelles, the airline will obtain an Airbus A320 aircraft in April 2015.

Maximising utilisation of its international fleet, one Airbus A330-200 in Air Seychelles’ livery will be operated in the interim by Etihad Airways from end April. Air Seychelles will maintain a total of three Airbus aircraft in its fleet.

Mr Papa said this change would enable Air Seychelles to direct resources to developing the Indian Subcontinent and East Asia, while still focusing on the key market of Europe.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=244928

Air Seychelles prépare ses vols directs vers Paris

A partir du 1er juillet, Air Seychelles effectuera à nouveau trois vols directs par semaine de Mahé à l'aéroport Charles de Gaulle, à Paris et la compagnie aérienne nationale est en train de mettre en place les derniers détails avant l’arrivée de ses avions en France.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=245784

22nd World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean gala ceremony

22-June-2015
Seychelles scoops multiple awards


Seychelles scooped multiple awards at the prestigious 22nd World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean gala ceremony 2015, with Air Seychelles being one the biggest winners on the night, taking the titles of Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline, Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline – Business Class and Indian Ocean’s Leading Cabin Crew.

The winners were unveiled at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort, Baie Lazare, on Saturday night in the presence of Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange, Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister Joël Morgan, World Travel Awards (WTA) president Graham Cooke among an audience of more than 150 industry leaders from 20 countries.

The WTA serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. The winners are voted by travel agents worldwide.
Apart from retaining the Indian Ocean’s leading airline – business class and Indian Ocean’s leading cabin crew titles won for the first time last year, Air Seychelles wrestled the Indian Ocean’s leading airline crown from last year’s winner Air Mauritius.

In front of an audience of more than 150 industry leaders from 20 countries, Maldives was recognised as Indian Ocean's leading beach destination, while Mauritius was rewarded as the Indian Ocean’s leading honeymoon destination.

Host country Seychelles also won the titles of Indian Ocean’s leading destination and Indian Ocean’s leading cruise destination. Port Victoria was chosen as the Indian Ocean's leading cruise port, while the Seychelles Tourism Board won the award for Indian Ocean’s leading tourist board.

Four Seasons Resort captured the prize for Indian Ocean’s leading hotel residences, Kempinski Seychelles Resort is the Indian Ocean's leading MICE Hotel, AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa is the Indian Ocean's leading new resort, Fregate Island Private is the Indian Ocean's leading private island resort, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is the Indian Ocean's leading spa resort, and Raffles Praslin is the Indian Ocean's leading villa resort.

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa is Seychelles' leading boutique hotel, Kempinski Seychelles Resort is Seychelles' leading conference hotel, Sainte Anne Resort & Spa is Seychelles' leading family resort, Banyan Tree is Seychelles' leading green resort, Constance Lémuria is Seychelles' leading hotel, Royal Suite at Four Seasons Resort is Seychelles' leading hotel suite, Signature Villa at Enchanted Island Resort is Seychelles' leading luxury hotel villa owners, Four Seasons Resort is Seychelles' leading resort and Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is Seychelles' leading spa resort.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=245795

‘Seychelles should be justifiably proud of Air Seychelles’

22-June-2015
“The people of Seychelles can be justifiably proud of Air Seychelles, its growth and achievements and the crucial contribution that it is making every day to the economy of Seychelles through facilitating growth in our tourism and trade,” Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister Joel Morgan has said.
http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=245798

Air Seychelles gets new chief executive

26-June-2015


Air Seychelles has announced the appointment of Roy Kinnear as its new chief executive, with effect from July 1, 2015.
Mr Kinnear joins Air Seychelles from strategic partner Etihad Airways, where he held the position of senior vice-president – revenue management and planning, responsible for leading the airline’s revenue management, inventory control, pricing, and revenue forecasting. He replaces Manoj Papa.

The Board of Air Seychelles, chaired by Joël Morgan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, approved the appointment.
During his three decades in the airline industry, Mr Kinnear has earned a reputation for delivering leading practice across the commercial and financial operations of the business, driving both revenue and profit.

Minister Morgan welcomed the appointment and said: “Roy Kinnear is a highly talented industry executive with the experience and expertise to lead Air Seychelles and maintain the dynamism and momentum of the airline.

“Roy brings new skills for a new phase in the continuous and very successful evolution of Air Seychelles, which now has a strong foundation and a growing reputation that extends well beyond the Indian Ocean, as a leading airline.

“Air Seychelles is focused on extracting maximum value from its modern fleet and its expanding regional and international network, which it will grow strategically with new destinations and trusted codeshare partnerships.

“I would like to sincerely thank Manoj Papa for his outstanding contribution over the past 18 months. In this time Manoj has successfully driven a significant number of people-critical initiatives, including the introduction of KPIs across the business, the creation of a performance-based culture, increased training and development and strengthened governance and reporting. These initiatives have led to improved employee engagement and productivity.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=245852

Letter to the Editor - La France en direct!

04-July-2015
I was glad to note this morning that Air Seychelles’ direct flight to Paris had made headline news. Once again Seychelles is directly linked to "La belle et douce France" – the country traditionally reknown for "La joie de vivre" - "Noblesse oblige" - "Plaisir d'Amour" - "La folie des grandeurs" - "Haute Couture" - "Grandes cuisines" – and of course "Grandeur d'esprit".

We do not need a President de Gaulle to tell us that there is nothing small about France "dans le domaine de grande valeurs et de grande culture". Yet, over recent years, we appear to be committed to drift away from our French cultural dimension as we go out of our way to promote and manifest our "Kreolite" at the expense of our "Créolité".

I am happy to see that the spirit of "La Liberté, L'Egalité et La Fraternité" is allowing our new generation to compose and sing more and more Kreol-cum-Creole songs. But at this time of noble change, let us remember that "La France" is also the country of "La Renaissance" and that many Seychellois would have rejoiced to hear "Je suis la plus belle des îles", echoing during the National Day Parade Show.

It was really amazing to see a contingent of a French Naval-cum-Airforce Parachutists descending on our soil from the sky in the spirit of "Dare Devils". But there is more to Seychelles connection with France besides "La considération géopolitique". There is that side of "La mer qu'on voit danser"; that side of "Jattendrais le jour et la nuit"; that side of "Auprès de ma blonde". Let us accept that a bit more of this side of the coin will give utmost pleasure to "Les Français" who constitute the largest national contingent visiting Seychelles.

I have hanging in my office a framed letter from President Georges Pompidou, dated the 22nd of June 1971 -
"Monsieur Le Premier Ministre,
A l'occasion de votre récent voyage en France, vous avez eu l'amabilité de m'adresser un exemplaire de l'ouvrage "Les Seychelles, Iles d'Amour". Je vous en remercie très vivement.

J'ai été tout particulièrement sensible à votre chaleureuse dédicace et à l'attachement pour la langue et la culture françaises dont elle témoigne.

Croyez que, de son côté, mon pays n'a pas oublié le peuple des Seychelles qui, dans le passé, a été si étroitement lié à son destin et qui contribue aujourd'hui au rayonnement de la langue française dans l'Océan Indien.

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur Le Premier Ministre, l'assurance de ma considération la plus distinguée.
(Signé)
Georges Pompidou
Président de la République Française."

This letter was written some 44 years ago and bringing it to the notice of Seychelles public opinion is certainly most relevant at this time.

Thank you, Editor for your space.
Au revoir et à bientôt.

James R. Mancham

Direct flight to Paris - French travel agents rediscover Seychelles

08-July-2015

“The French market cannot wait to rediscover Seychelles,” believes Jean Philippe Chan Hing Hi, regional delegate for Austral Lagon, a French destination management company that specialises in island destinations.

He was accompanied by nine other representatives from Austral Lagon when they flew back on the inaugural direct flight from Paris to Seychelles last Friday. While their trip to Seychelles included a visit of over 20 resorts, they started their tour at Constance Ephelia Seychelles at Port Launay. This visit included a tour of the resort and a lunch at the Hillside Presidential Villa.

“In the past, France was the main feeder market for Seychelles, but has been taken over recently by Germany. We believe that France can once again become the main market for the archipelago, and the direct flights from Paris will be the main selling point. The destination is simply amazing and we know the French market is already very interested. That being said, most travellers prefer direct flights. Just last week one of the colleagues sold a trip to Seychelles to a couple. They were thinking about another destination, but for the same price and with a direct flight, they preferred Seychelles. And this is just the start,” explained Mr Chan Hing Hi.

During their week-long visit, these travel agents will be visiting the biggest resorts of the archipelago, also spending some time at Lemuria Resort, on Praslin, before heading back to France.

Chantal Firmin, sales manager at Constance Ephelia Seychelles, highlights the importance of this specific DMC.

“We believe that the direct flight between Paris and Mahé will have a truly positive impact on the destination as a whole. France has always had a close relationship with Seychelles and we know the French families were anxious to be able to get direct flights here again. With these representatives, we decided to push the wow factor to the maximum, showing them the best Ephelia and Seychelles has to offer and we believe that they will go back to France energised to promote the destination to their clients,” she said.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=245977

Air Seychelles welcomes home new A320 Airbus

02-September-2015

Air Seychelles chairman and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan has described the arrival yesterday of the national airline’s new A320 Airbus as “proud and exciting for Air Seychelles and our nation”.

Mr Morgan was joined by Vice-President Danny Faure and Air Seychelles chief executive (CEO) Roy Kinnear to cut the ribbon to, as he said, “welcome home” the new aircraft, which touched down at the Seychelles International Airport at exactly 8am yesterday morning.

The new aircraft has been baptised Silhouette after the archipelago’s third largest island.

After receiving a water canon salute from the airport’s fire service, the aircraft was also blessed by Reverend Danny Elizabeth from the Anglican Diocese and Father David Alcindor of the Roman Catholic Church.



The aircraft has been leased to Air Seychelles by its partner company Etihad Airways, but is registered under the Seychelles civil aircraft register and bears registration number S7-SIL. Though a single-aisle aircraft with 16 business and 120 economy seats, its cockpit design is similar to Air Seychelles’ wide-bodied A330 the Aldabra, permitting the company to use the pilots and cabin crew on both aircraft types.

Minister Morgan noted as “particularly noteworthy that Silhouette is the second Airbus aircraft that Air Seychelles has registered in Seychelles this year”, adding that the “undertaking reflects how far the airline has come in growing its operational capacity in the span of three years”. Amirantes, Air Seychelles’ other A320 aircraft, was transferred to the local register in June this year.

Revealing more plans for the future, Minister Morgan said he is confident that the new aircraft will bring more visitors to our shores and with them a memorable holiday, strengthening Air Seychelles’ reputation in the process.

He announced that the airline is currently finalising negotiations to fly to Comoros and to China later this year.

“We have to grow this industry. We have to make it work. I am confident that it will work. […] The arrival of Silhouette marks another chapter in the development of our national airline, which continues to go from strength to strength and is making a significant contribution to the Seychelles’ economy every day,” the minister said.

CEO Kinnear also described the event as a “remarkable achievement, which brings new opportunities, strengthens the business and shows how the airline is growing”.

He added that the extension of the service at all level - décor, cabin crew, menu, in flight entertainment – is important to keep guests with a lasting impression not only of Air Seychelles, but also of the Seychelles and will permit the company to continue delivering for our people and country.

Mr Kinnear explained that the A320 has been chosen as it is currently the world’s best selling aircraft.

“The A320 is a modern aircraft and offers a comfortable travelling experience, with wide seats and personal in-flight entertainment systems. Combined with our award-winning service and cabin crew renowned for their Creole warmth and friendliness, this makes for a powerful travelling proposition,” he said.

Silhouette will however not be staying home for long as it will soon join the Amirantes on the regional routes of Mauritius, Antananarivo, Dar es Salaam, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=246640

Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Etihad Airways

11-September-2015
Strong air connections between Italy and Seychelles



(From left) Bernadette Willemin, director Europe at the Seychelles Tourism Board; Lorna Dalziel, general manager Italy at Etihad Airways; Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles and Nicola Bonacchi, vice-president sales Italy at Alitalia, at the Air Seychelles media conference held at the Alitalia and Etihad Airways joint pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

Air Seychelles now offers travellers convenient one-stop connections between three of Italy’s biggest cities and Seychelles as a result of strong collaboration with its codeshare partners Alitalia and Etihad Airways.

Speaking at a media conference yesterday as part of the ‘Seychelles Week’ events at Expo Milano 2015, Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said the island carrier’s focus on partnerships has provided leisure and holidaymakers in Italy with enhanced flight options from Milan, Rome and Venice to Seychelles.

Mr Kinnear said: “Italy is a very important tourism market for Seychelles and we have already carried over 7,000 visitors from Italy to our shores in the first seven months of 2015. We are delighted that, by working with our partners Alitalia and Etihad Airways, we can offer travellers convenient, daily connections to our famous archipelago via Abu Dhabi.

“This demonstrates the strength of Etihad Airways partners and our codeshare strategy, which together have expanded our network to more destinations across Italy, and a wider international network than we could fly to alone.

“Seychelles and Italy are both highly-recognised destination brands. Italy is known for its rich history, culture and sense of style, and Seychelles for the unmatched beauty of its natural environment. With these air connections, we can further strengthen our brand presence and promote trade and tourism growth at both ends.”

Travellers can fly from Milan, Rome and Venice to Seychelles via Abu Dhabi on daily codeshare flights operated by Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Etihad Airways.

Once in Abu Dhabi, travellers are able to connect onto a daily Seychelles-bound service operated by Air Seychelles on an Airbus A320 aircraft, with 16 business class and 120 economy class seats.

On arrival in Mahé, guests can take advantage of over 20 daily domestic flights operated by Air Seychelles to Praslin, the second-biggest island in the archipelago and the home of the famous Vallée de Mai nature reserve, a listed Unesco World Heritage Site.

The media conference was opened by popular Italian actress, model and influential fashion blogger, Elena Barolo, and took place as part of a week-long programme hosted by Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Etihad Airways to promote the Indian Ocean archipelago in Italy.

Other events included presentations on Seychelles to the travel trade, and live cooking classes to show guests how to make popular traditional Seychellois recipes such as pumpkin chutney, grilled Red Snapper and coconut curry.

Expo Milano 2015 opened on May 1, 2015 and will run until October 31, 2015, during which time it is expected to attract an estimated 20 million visitors.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=246737

Air Seychelles renews internship with STA

18-September-2015


Air Seychelles has renewed its agreement with the Seychelles Tourism Academy whereby the national career provides internship opportunities to the academy’s students. As a result, the students follow a work attachment programme in different departments of the company.

The two-year agreement which has bonded the two organisations for four years now was renewed for the third time through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed yesterday afternoon at the STA at La Misère. Air Seychelles chief executive Roy Kinnear signed on behalf of the airline while the STA was represented by its principal Flavien Joubert and the chairman of its board of directors John Stravens. Also present were members of the National Assembly (MNAs), members of Air Seychelles staff as well as lecturers and students of the tourism academy.

In a short speech, Mr Joubert reminded that the existing cooperation between Air Seychelles and STA has already brought many activities. As he wished for many other actions in the future, he expressed his satisfaction that the collaboration has offered training for students who are now part of the airline’s cabin crew and ground staff. Hoping that present students will follow this trend, he has ensured that STA and Air Seychelles wish to make the cooperation become better in the future.

Mr Kinnear replied that the relationship has permitted expert training, helped to develop talent and careers and made the whole country move forward as it has contributed to create a strong Seychellois workforce.

“Air Seychelles is committed to building this quality workforce,” he said.

The Air Seychelles boss described the cooperation as “natural, as we both want to develop excellent customer service for the benefit of all, including Seychelles.” He added that with a 98% local staff, Air Seychelles will not only continue to keep a high percentage of Seychellois employees, but will also encourage past STA students to take management positions within the company.

“We want to take the partnership to the next level and go beyond providing guest experience. We want to see Air Seychelles managed by an all-Seychellois management team,” he said.

On his part, Mr Stravens thanked Air Seychelles for the partnership. Referring to the academy as “the gloves” and the airline as “the hands”, he stressed that both organisations need each other for the development of the tourism industry.

Gabriella Nourrice, a young guest service agent who graduated from STA in May this year, shared her good experience with Air Seychelles after studying tour guiding and tourism. She has encouraged present students whom she says “are at the starting point of their career”, to follow in her footsteps and join Air Seychelles after their studies.

She added: “The internship programme was a really great experience that opened the door for me to start my career in aviation. I remember vividly how excited I was when I had to go to the airport for my first night shift as part of my practical training. It made me realise how much I enjoy interacting with and assisting guests at the check-in, and how exciting and dynamic it is to work for an airline.”

The programme is designed to support young Seychellois in developing a career in the aviation industry through training programmes at the STA led by Air Seychelles experts, as well as vocational placements and internships in specific airline departments.

Students who complete the training programmes, which are specifically focused on service-related positions such as guest check-in agents at the Seychelles International Airport, will be considered for full-time positions after graduating from the academy.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=246807

John Stravens chairs STA’s board of governance

18-September-2015
John Stravens has been appointed chairperson of the Board of Governance of the Seychelles

Tourism Academy (STA) by the Minister for Education, Macsuzy Mondon.

The appointment came into effect since June 1, 2015.

Mr Stravens is a Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) councilor and former chairman of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA). He was also an ad’hoc on the SCCI Board of Councilors and was elected as a councilor during the annual general meeting of the SCCI early this year. Very active within the tourism sector, Mr Stravens is also the chairperson of the SCCI sub-tourism committee that was created by SCCI chairman Marco Francis.

He sits on different national committees and was lately appointed together with Mr Francis on the National Arts Council (Nac) board by Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=246802

Air Seychelles generates buzz at Top Resa following launch of non-stop flights to Paris

02-October-2015



Air Seychelles has attracted strong interest from visitors at Top Resa, the largest French travel trade fair, in the wake of the recent launch of non-stop flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Seychelles.

The four-day event, which took place at the Porte de Versailles between September 29 and October 2, is the leading business-to-business travel exhibition in France and was attended by more than 30,000 trade professionals.

The carrier was represented at the event by Air Seychelles’ sales and marketing staff and AVIAREPS staff, its general sales agent in France, who were positioned at the Seychelles Tourism Board and Etihad Airways Partners stands.

Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said: “Top Resa is the leading travel trade fair in France and represents a great opportunity for Air Seychelles to further strengthen its presence in the French market.

“The French travel trade has responded very positively to our non-stop flights between France and Seychelles, which, combined with our codeshare flights, offer the travelling public more flexibility and connectivity choice.

“We are delighted to work together with the Seychelles Tourism Board and Etihad Airways Partners at Top Resa to develop our business ties in France and continue introducing business and holidaymakers travellers to the beauty of Seychelles.”

Air Seychelles launched a three-per-week non-stop service between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Seychelles in July 2015 and operates a modern Airbus A330 aircraft in a two cabin configuration on the route.

Sherin Naiken, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “More than 25,000 visitors from France have visited our shores in the first eight and a half months of 2015, making it the number one tourism market for our archipelago.

“We are confident that by continuing to market Seychelles through excellent platforms such as Top Resa, and providing travellers with convenient flights with Air Seychelles, the tourism ties between France and Seychelles will only deepen in the future.”

Providing guests with more choice and flexibility, the airline currently codeshares on domestic flights operated by Air France between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nice and Toulouse, as well as flights operated by Etihad Airways between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi, where travellers have convenient onward connections to Seychelles.

Travellers from France can also take advantage of Air Seychelles flights from Seychelles to Mauritius and Antananarivo, combining a trip to the Seychelles archipelago with a visit to another Indian Ocean island.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=246967

Air Seychelles - Freddy Karkaria appointed new GM for business development

01-March-2016
Mr KarkariaAir Seychelles has appointed Freddy Karkaria as general manager - business development.
Mr Karkaria brings with him an extensive experience from working both in public and private sectors, in aviation, leisure and travel industries.
Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said: “The set of skills and experience Freddy brings with him will complement the existing Air Seychelles senior management team and contribute towards the successful realisation of strategic corporate goals ahead of us.
“As our business continues to grow, it will become more complex but that in itself will bring more opportunities across many areas of our business to grow revenue. Freddy, like other members of the senior management team, will report directly to myself and will work alongside his senior colleagues and myself across a range of priorities and opportunities which I foresee as areas of growth in addition to day to day activities already overseen by our other managers and teams.”
Mr Karkaria said: “I am pleased to join the Air Seychelles team to support the next important stage of the national airline’s development.
“I believe that with the combination of the capabilities I gathered in the air transport industry, international relationship management and diplomacy, I can bring a fresh dimension to the business and ensure that the national airline continues to grow and create value for Seychelles.”

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=248580

Aviation history/histoire des Seychelles

https://youtu.be/hqUFWLo1bhc

Air Seychelles successfully completes move to Sabre technology

22-March-2016



Air Seychelles’ switch to its new Sabre reservation and check-in platform at Mahé International and Praslin airports was successfully completed during this past weekend.
The first service handled under the new system was flight HM3143 which departed Praslin for Mahé at 2.20pm on Saturday March 19. The first International flight was HM18 from Seychelles to Abu Dhabi at 8.25pm on the same day.
Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said: “The cutover to the new Sabre reservation and check-in platform has been an outstanding operation involving hundreds of Air Seychelles staff and months of hard work. While one will always expect some minor disruption during an implementation of this magnitude, it was very pleasing to see such a smooth transition in such a well-executed manner with our team committed to delivering it successfully and on time.
“To have achieved this cutover with such minimal disruption to our operations and guests, is testament to the excellent teamwork between Air Seychelles, Sabre Airline Solutions, and our partner Etihad Airways.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=248826

Air Seychelles introduces special deals for staff


29-March-2016
Air Seychelles has launched a programme offering its staff discounts and special deals at establishments across Seychelles.
Under the programme, dubbed Employee Plus, the airline’s staff can take advantage of discounts of up to 25 per cent off at local businesses including restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, gyms, medical centres, beauty salons and fashion stores.
Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said: “The Employee Plus programme is a fantastic new initiative that offers our 700 staff a wide range of great deals, from discounts at top eateries to reduced-price beauty salons.
“As a leading employer in Seychelles, we care about the wellbeing of our staff and firmly believe in the philosophy that happy employees are more productive, which is why we are continuously looking at ways to further improve the workplace.
“In addition, Employee Plus will benefit close to 30 establishments that have joined the programme so far and which can now look forward to more business from hundreds of Air Seychelles staff and their families and friends.
“This is an excellent example of a win-win relationship for both participating companies and our employees and look forward, in the coming months, to adding more exciting deals to the programme as we welcome on-board more partners.”

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=248883

Air Seychelles wins four top World Travel awards

• Leading airline, cabin crew, business and economy class for the Indian Ocean region Air Seychelles has been awarded four prestigious accolades at the 2016 World Travel Awards, including the.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=249040

Air Seychelles records profit fourth consecutive year

04-May-2016
Air Seychelles has been a profitable company for the fourth consecutive year, this in spite of challenges and what has been termed as turbulences in the aviation jargon.
For the year 2015, the national airline has recorded a profit of US $2.1 million, from total revenue of US $105.4 million.
The figures were revealed by the chairman of the Air Seychelles board Joel Morgan who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport. This was during a meeting with the press yesterday afternoon at the Pointe Larue International Airport. Also present were Air Seychelles chief executive (CEO) Roy Kinnear and the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) Abdul Al Sayegh.
Minister Morgan has described the profit as important for the future of the aviation business not only in Seychelles, but in the whole of the Indian Ocean region.
“The profit is another wonderful result for our national airline and for the future of aviation in Seychelles and the Indian Ocean region. Air Seychelles has enhanced the image of our country. Our national airline is often the first contact for visitors who come to Seychelles. The level and quality of service as well as the look and ambiance of the aircraft are the images of the exotic destination Seychelles we would like to send to the world,” the minister and board chairman has commented.
Air Seychelles has attributed the success mainly due to the increase in passenger numbers which has shot up by 22% with a total of 522,873 passengers travelling with Air Seychelles in 2015, and cargo services which continue to also be a major growth area. These have been due to an increase in the international network, resulting in a 48% rise in international flights with the introduction of direct flights to Paris and to new destinations like Beijing, Mumbai and Madagascar. In addition, more flights were added on the Mauritius and Johannesburg routes, which along with the domestic service have proved to be the most profitable ones for the airline.
The Dar es Salaam route was however not a profitable one and had to be abandoned as a result of Mr Kinnear has described as “a tough commercial decision, but taken for the benefit of everyone”. On the other hand, the Air Seychelles CEO is satisfied that the airline has up to now secured 61 code sharing agreements for other destinations around the world compared to 40 in 2014, partnerships which have generated 41% of Air Seychelles’ passenger revenue. For the domestic service, he says this “has skyrocketed in 2015,” with now more than 200 flights per week.
“We are proud to have been able to deliver on our mandate which was to achieve strong growth, to become the region’s leading career and most importantly to be a commercially viable and profitable enterprise while remaining one of the key drivers of economic growth in Seychelles,” Mr Kinnear has said.
As the $2.1 million profit is about 1 million less than in 2014 (3.2 million that year) the CEO went on to explain that this is because the airline has “invested to grow” and that revenue is shared with other airlines which carry Air Seychelles’ passengers.
Investments have included two A320 and one A330 Airbus aircraft as well as a DHC-6 Twin Otter, staff recruitment and training with 128 new jobs created bringing the total workforce to 727 staff, added to upgrade in engineering, ground services and general operations where a new ticketing system has been introduced.
“We have now laid down the foundation for the future growth of the national airline. Without the investment, this would not have been possible,” Mr Kinnear has added, insisting that “good service is a win-win scenario for the guests and the airline.”
In spite of the economic success and Air Seychelles now the Indian Ocean’s number one airline, he has further stressed “that there is no finishing line ahead and we must not rest on our laurels as there is always the possibility to improve the service.” This will be through code share expansion and network growth while focusing on improving on passenger routes like China, Mumbai and Madagascar and looking into the possibility of developing new ones like possibly Japan. To serve those routes and to cater for an expected rise in cargo volume, a new Airbus aircraft will be acquired.
With more passengers from the region connecting to Paris via Air Seychelles’ direct flight from Mahé, Minister Morgan has observed that Seychelles is developing into an Indian Ocean hub.
“We will continue to consolidate Air Seychelles’ position by making investments that will allow the airline to continue on its current trajectory of further growth,” the Air Seychelles chairman has concluded.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=249306

Air Seychelles introduces new website features including web check-in

08-June-2016

Air Seychelles has announced the introduction of new web services for its guests, including web check-in, following the successful implementation of the Sabre technology platform.
The web check-in feature allows guests travelling on all Air Seychelles flights departing from Mahé International Airport and Praslin Airport, to check in and print their boarding passes online through airseychelles.com
For international flights, guests can check in as early as 24 hours and up to two hours before the scheduled departure time, and for domestic flights, guests can check in from 24 hours in advance up to just 60 minutes before the flight. When using this service, guests are required to bring their printed boarding passes to the airport before the normal closure of check in desks.
Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, said: “We are pleased to launch the new web check-in service, which makes travelling from our hub in Seychelles International Airport and Praslin Airport much more convenient for guests.
“This service is especially useful for residents of Seychelles who fly regularly between Mahé and Praslin, who will now be able to arrive later at the airport, up to 20 minutes before flight departure.”
The new service enables guests with only carry-on hand luggage to proceed straight to passport and security controls, bypassing the check-in counters. At the same time, passengers who have baggage will be able to use a special baggage drop-off counter at the airport to check in their belongings quickly and conveniently up to 45 minutes before departure on international flights.
The airline has also enhanced its online travel offering with additional features and benefits that include a continually updated flight timetable, a flight status page that tracks Air Seychelles services in real-time, and new options when managing a flight reservation, such as the ability to select seats, choose special meals and input frequent flier information.
Other new functions on airseychelles.com, which have been made possible by the airline’s switch to a Sabre reservations and check-in system, include multi-city stopover bookings, the ability to purchase resident fares online, timely notifications of schedule changes, gate changes and flight delays, and the ability to use all major credit cards, including those in Seychelles rupees (SCR).
Air Seychelles was supported in introducing these functions by Maven, a local website development company which designed the airline’s modern website and developed and integrated Sabre technology into its front-end system.
Mr Kinnear continued: “The innovations we have introduced are part of our ongoing commitment to improve the travel experience for our guests at all touch points, and especially the Air Seychelles website.
“These features are designed to make the journey with Air Seychelles smoother and more convenient and are what modern business and leisure travellers are looking for.
“We have planned other special enhancements in the coming weeks, such as the option of purchasing lounge access online and paying for additional baggage, which will expand our service offering even further.”

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=249729

Seychelles, Czech Republic sign air transport accord

10-June-2016

More flexible air transport operations between the Czech Republic and Seychelles are expected by the end of this year or early next year now that the two countries have officially signed an Air Transport Agreement.
The Czech ambassador to Seychelles Karel Hejč and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan signed the agreement in a ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters Maison Quéau de Quinssy yesterday morning.
This was in the presence of the chief executive of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) Gilbert Faure, the chief executive of Air Seychelles Roy Kinnear as well as other officials from the mentioned ministry.
The agreement provides for:
• codesharing between the two countries’ airlines as well as with airlines of third countries,
• multi-designation of airlines,
• use of intermodal services such as land or sea transportation as a continuity of the air services, as well as
• a route schedule which permits both airlines to operate to any intermediate points and any beyond points as part of the routes operated between the two countries.
Speaking after the signing Ambassador Hejč said the important agreement will enhance bilateral relations between our two countries.


http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=249766