Etihad Airways launches flights to Seychelles

Friday, 4 November 2011 02:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Etihad Airways has launched flights between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles International Airport on Mahé island.

Forward bookings for the route, which will operate four times per week via a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, are strong, particularly from points of origin in the airline’s European network.

Earlier this week, Etihad Airways also commenced daily services between Abu Dhabi and Malé, the capital of The Republic of the Maldives.

“The ties between Abu Dhabi and the Seychelles are already strong, and with this new route, Etihad Airways can help to make that relationship stronger, said James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer.“The Seychelles has long been a favourite destination among discerning leisure travellers, and global interest in the destination has been building in recent years, particularly following the much-publicized Royal Honeymoon.”

Etihad’s schedule offers an afternoon arrival and evening departure so European travellers can take advantage of overnight flights through Abu Dhabi in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Seychelles.The Seychelles comprises 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, located off of the east coast of Africa. The 41 inner islands constitute some of the oldest mid-oceanic granite islands on earth, with another 74 islands forming the low-lying coral atolls and reef islands of the outer islands.

The inner islands cluster mainly around the principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, forming the cultural and economic hub of Seychelles, as well as the centre of its tourism industry.