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Air Seychelles today announced significant changes to its international schedule, effective March 24, 2013.
The changes include increased weekly frequencies to Johannesburg, Mauritius and Abu Dhabi.
Together with the new Hong Kong services, the new schedule will effectively double the airline’s weekly international services, from eight to 16.
There will be an additional service to Johannesburg and Mauritius, bringing a total three services per week to each destination.
Johannesburg’s three weekly return services will move to daytime departures and arrivals, shifting from the current overnight services, which will greatly enhance connectivity across South Africa, particularly to Cape Town and Durban.
The change will enable connections to Cape Town to increase from 31 to 45 per week, while connections to Durban will increase from 22 to 38 per week. The new Johannesburg schedule also allows more convenient flight connections within South Africa, increasing from 24 to 61 per week. Connections to the rest of Africa will increase from 29 to 72 per week.
The new Monday service, along with flights on Wednesdays and Fridays, reflects the demand for more convenient flights for both business and leisure travellers.
Abu Dhabi services will increase from four to seven return flights per week, supporting Air Seychelles’ codeshare operations and the new Hong Kong services. Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based airline and 40 per cent shareholder, will operate three services per week on the route.
The partner airlines’ combined schedule of 10 services per week brings daily services to the Seychelles-Abu Dhabi route, with greatly enhanced connectivity over the Abu Dhabi hub.
Under a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways in place since January 2012, the combined network currently offers 440 convenient flight connections per week from the Seychelles to destinations across the globe. This will increase to 496 connections from March 24.
When the new schedule takes effect, connecting flights from the Seychelles over Abu Dhabi and onwards to historical markets across Europe will increase from 144 to 151 connections per week.
The new schedule also opens up connections to key emerging markets for Seychelles tourism, including destinations across the Middle East and Australasia. Connections throughout the Middle East will increase from 69 to 87 per week, connections to Asia will increase from 190 to 217 per week and connections to Australasia will increase from 20 to 26 per week.
Air Seychelles announced this week that its three weekly return services to Hong Kong, operated via Abu Dhabi, would commence on March 24, 2013.
Cramer Ball, Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, said: “We have seen strong performance across our existing international network in the course of what has been a turn-around year for Air Seychelles. By bringing additional flights to these high-demand markets and increasing our connectivity to emerging markets, we are creating a solid foundation for the future of Air Seychelles, Seychelles tourism and our home economy.
“The new schedule supports the launch of our services to Hong Kong next year, which will mark our entry into Asia, a vibrant and booming region which can be a huge driver of tourism to the Seychelles.
“These are essential components of the plan which will see Air Seychelles established as a high-quality, profitable airline, as well as the carrier of choice within the Indian Ocean.”
Air Seychelles this year announced third quarter revenues of US$13.8 million, up 23 per cent on the second quarter, as the airline’s restructuring program took effect in the drive towards profitability in 2012. Growth in revenue was led by a 51 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in passengers.
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