Air Seychelles to drop Zurich, Frankfurt flights |15 November 2004

Seychelles’ link to Germany will remain however, as Thomas Cook will continue to fly to Seychelles as part of a code share agreement with the national carrier.

With services to Mayotte and Comores ceasing earlier this year, and the announcement of the suspension of its Dubai connection starting on December 31, Air Seychelles plans to service eight destinations – London, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Maldives, Mumbai, Mauritius and Johannesburg as from 2005.

Captain Savy said that there are no plans for opening up additional markets with new destinations, citing shortcomings in Seychelles’ tourism product at the moment.

“Sort out the product and pricing, and the markets will follow,” he told reporters Friday.

The flight withdrawals form part of the airline’s efforts to compete in a liberalised air access environment the government announced earlier this year, as Qatar Airways and Emirates get set to begin flights to Seychelles in a matter of weeks.

Last week Air Seychelles signed an agreement with Air Mauritius that will see the airline’s direct London flight to Mahe carry on to Mauritius, with the Mauritian airline buying 40 percent of each flight’s capacity up front.

The agreement will attempt to promote more traffic for Seychelles and Mauritius as a two-centre holiday destination.

Captain Savy said that similar agreements could be incorporated into the airline’s operations in the future.