VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles enthusiastically received the highly anticipated inaugural flight of Indian airline IndiGo on Saturday afternoon, representing a major milestone in enhancing air connectivity and increasing the island nation’s accessibility to the world. The A321 aircraft touched down at the Seychelles International Airport just before 4pm, carrying 148 passengers out of a capacity of 180.
As is customary, it was given a water cannon salute, which was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome the first passengers and crew to the islands. Among the passengers onboard was Seychelles High Commissioner to India Lalatiana Accouche, who joined Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Transport Antony Derjacques and IndiGo officials for the ribbon cutting. The new Mumbai-Seychelles route will operate four times per week throughout the summer season, extending until October 2025, with plans to increase frequency to daily flights.
Minister Derjacques in his address highlighted the longstanding and growing relationship between Seychelles and India, built on deep-rooted cultural ties, economic cooperation, and mutual aspirations for growth. ‘This is not just about air connectivity; it is about fostering stronger people-to-people ties, boosting trade, and creating more opportunities for tourism and business,’ he stated. Minister Radegonde noted that with over 25 million Indians travelling overseas between January and October 2024, and a projected 39 million outbound travellers by 2028, India represents a critical market for Seychelles.
