Seychelles has accelerated plans to sign a bilateral air service agreement with Angola after a positive meeting between transport Minister Derjacques and the Angolan ambassador Sandro Renato Agostinho de Oliveira.
After inking a General Cooperation Agreement and an Agreement on the Creation of a Bilateral Commission, the two governments have set sights on September for the signing of the bilateral air service agreement
The Minister for Transport, Anthony Derjacques said : “We are already flying to South Africa and Angola is also in Southern Africa. It will help us a lot to have this direct link with Angola or for us to go there via South Africa — we go to Jo’burg and then fly to Rwanda. It will be easier for them to also get access with Seychelles,”
Principal Secretary of Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Alan Renaud addressed the broader benefits that would come from this: “For Air Seychelles, it is always important to have as many options as possible. In 2016 and 2017, when we had a lot of Chinese airlines coming and Air Seychelles was flying there, there was a lot of interest for Air Seychelles to continue flights onwards, particularly to the western coast of Africa
“China is particularly interested in countries in Africa that have a lot of mineral resources such as Angola. Seychelles as always has a unique position in the Indian Ocean and if flights can be organised, it is very convenient on several levels for the airlines in question”
