Emirates celebrates 15 years of serving Seychelles |04 January 2020

• The airline has carried over 2.6 million customers on the Dubai-Mahé route

Emirates is celebrating a key milestone in Seychelles: 15 years of serving Seychelles after having started with four weekly flights in 2005. Today, Emirates operates a double-daily service to the archipelago.

Over the past 15 years, the airline has carried around 2.6 million customers on 14,328 flights covering 47.4 million kilometres on the Dubai-Mahé route. In 2019 alone, the airline carried around 278,000 customers on the route, helping boost tourism, trade and the local economy.

Emirates has brought tourists to Seychelles from its network spanning six continents, with the top six countries being the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Germany, Italy, France, United Kingdom, and Russia. The service has connected Seychellois travellers to the world, with the six most popular countries being UAE, India, United Kingdom, France, Thailand and China.

Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior vice-president commercial operations West Asia & Indian Ocean, stated: “For 15 years, Emirates has connected Seychelles to the rest of the world and has unwaveringly supported its tourism industry, which is the main pillar of the country’s economy. We are committed to this strong partnership with Seychelles, and to supporting the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine and the Seychelles Tourism Board in ensuring the country always has a place of pride on the world stage. We thank all our partners and key stakeholders for their continued support.”

Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “Emirates has been an active airline partner in the development of the Seychelles tourism industry over the years. We are very grateful and appreciative. We hope to continue to count on its support and partnership for many more years to come.”

The award-winning airline is renowned for pampering its customers, and for its inflight products and services tailored to the destinations on its network. Emirates’ iconic multicultural cabin crew come from more than 130 nationalities and include 33 Seychellois. Some of the popular dishes on the Dubai-Mahé route include Cajun chicken served with roast garlic and tomato aioli, papaya and pineapple salad; grilled seafood skewer with creole sauce and roasted potatoes; and octopus curry served with green mango chutney.

Emirates and the government of Seychelles have signed an agreement which aims to jointly promote the destination across the airline’s global network. Both are committed to the development of a series of joint activities to increase the visibility and awareness of the island in the 150+ destinations to which the airline flies.

Press release from Emirates