Seychelles Airlines (Mahé) CEO Ahmed Afif says his airline has now officially submitted all documentation required to secure an Air Operators Certificate from the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SyCAA). Afif told the Seychelles News Agency in an interview that once the AOC had been secured, the start-up would then be able to apply for an Air Transport Licence from the Seychelles Ministry of Home Affairs and Transport.
Following extensive market research, Afif says his airline will focus on providing direct routes to Europe and Asia in competition with local incumbent Air Seychelles (HM, Mahé) which, in conjunction with parent Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International), currently only offers staged long-haul flights via Abu Dhabi International.
"The (Seychelles) tourism trade has been crying out for such operations and we are informed by travel agents and tour operators, locally and overseas, that not only is direct flight the preferred mode of travel but that many tourists will not travel except on direct flights which would translate into more tourists coming to Seychelles," he said.
Backed by Intershore Aviation Limited, the Seychellois division of an international firm involved in financial services and real estate, Seychelles Airlines intends to use two B767-300(ER)s to target the European market. With its first B767 on the ground, the start-up will offer five weekly flights from Mahé to France, Italy and Germany before expanding to the United Kingdom, Russia, Singapore, and India.
