Air Seychelles on Monday May 17, announced it conducted its first ever charter flight to the Australian skies operating into the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities Sydney.
The charter flight from Maldives was carrying a group of 38 players from the Indian Premier league and was operated with the carrier’s A320neo aircraft which landed safely at the Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport.
The airline has previously operated charter flights including flights from Pakistan that carried the South African national Cricket team as well as charter flights from Antananarivo to Addis Ababa with the flight carrying Madagascar’s national Football Team.
“This remarkable achievement clearly demonstrates the capabilities of our company, the hard work, agility and perseverance of our team who continue to push boundaries during this unprecedented operational environment with great determination,” said Air Seychelles CEO Remco Althuis.
The airline’s COO Charles Johnson also added, “It has been an honor to work with Air Partner Middle East and cricket Australia to bring home the Australian Cricket team after their tour in India. While we are a small airline, we have big wings capable of achieving heights and destinations beyond our usual network. It is also clear that sporting teams and charter clients around the world trust in Air Seychelles to deliver their VIP guests safely at their destinations.”
As it is difficult to overstate just how much airlines have been left devastated with the current pandemic, the Indian Ocean archipelago is seeking extra capacity in charter flights that will help create the much needed flexibility in the aviation industry and be ready for recovery in what is to be a structurally different market compared to what we had pre-COVID.
A charter flight is an unscheduled flight not part of a regular airline routing. With a charter flight, you can rent the entire flight and even determine the arrival/departure locations and time.
Meanwhile, the long gloomy rumors about a potential parting of ways between Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles has been confirmed with the Seychelles government and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad reaching an agreement for the government to take full control of Air Seychelles.
Etihad is reportedly in the process of selling its 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles for a dismal $1 with the airline cancelling over $60 million in debt on the process. Considering how small Air Seychelles is, this amount of debt is astronomical as the airline only operates a fleet of two Airbus A320neos and five DHC 6-400 Twin Otters.
By Victor Shalton Odhiambo
