VICTORIA, Seychelles — Emirates Airline has marked 20 years of operations in Seychelles, with the Dubai-based international carrier’s vice-president for West Asia and Indian Ocean, Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, hailing the country as ‘a very important market’ for the airline. Speaking during a press conference at the Eden Bleu Hotel on Eden Island, Mr Ahmad said the airline expects the relationship to continue growing well into the future.
Since the airline first launched operations in Seychelles on January 7, 2005, it has carried more than 1.8 million passengers to the country, and Emirates now flies a four-times-weekly service using a Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft with capacity for over 360 passengers. Mr Ahmad said the launch of a new four-times-a-week Dubai–Madagascar service with a stop in Seychelles is also performing well, supporting the country’s goal of attracting one million tourists by 2031.
The vice-president said Emirates is looking at introducing a premium economy cabin on its Seychelles flights, with such a product already introduced on some of the airline’s other destinations. He added that the airline is also exploring opportunities to use more sustainable materials, including recyclable options, as part of its wider fuel-efficiency programme. The visit comes as the airline seeks to deepen its relationship with the local tourism authority and hospitality partners.
