Air Seychelles announced today, a two year business plan with the objective to improve the carrier’ position. The plan outlines the renewal of Air Seychelles fleet leveraging Etihad Airways equity partnership of which 40 per cent was acquired in January 2102.

Highlights of the plan include:

• The introduction of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft
• The launch of services to Beijing in early 2013, offering through connections to Johannesburg via the Seychelles
• Increased frequencies to key destinations, including Abu Dhabi, Mauritius and Johannesburg
• Closer cooperation with Etihad Airways to identify economies of scale and synergies in staff training, procurement and product development
• Extended codeshare operations with Etihad Airways to connect the Seychelles, through Abu Dhabi, with a global network of passenger and cargo destinations.

Air Seychelles staff members including pilots, cabin crew and engineers will undergo training at Etihad Airways Training Academy in Abu Dhabi. Increased codesharing with Etihad Airways with the potential network of 73 passenger destinations in 49 countries.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer said: “Air Seychelles is a strong business proposition and Etihad Airways will do everything we can to ensure it achieves sustainable growth while offering passengers best in class service.

“When we partnered with Air Seychelles we made a commitment to support Air Seychelles’ quest to emerge as a viable airline offering world class service commensurate with that being offered by Etihad Airways. The business plan we presented is the tangible result of that commitment.

“It makes strong commercial sense for us to work together on issues where cooperation is possible. The resulting synergies will bring about significant efficiency benefits for both Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles.

“Etihad Airways has already demonstrated how partnership between airlines can be mutually beneficial through our relationship with airberlin. As a result of that partnership, we expect to see the number of European visitors to the Seychelles rise considerably.”

Cramer Ball Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer added: “We have worked hard to identify areas in which Air Seychelles can improve operations and cut costs. This plan is a clearly laid out working document that will see us not only grow quickly, but will establish us as the carrier of choice in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

“We are delighted to be able work closely with Etihad Airways to achieve scale quickly where previously we could not and to maximise efficiencies. These are exciting times for Air Seychelles.”

The new Board of Air Seychelles comprises:

• Minister Joel Morgan, Minister Home Affairs and Transport, as Chairperson
• Kevin Knight, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer Etihad Airways as Vice Chairperson

Directors from Government of Seychelles

• Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs
• Steve Fanny, Principal Secretary for Finance
• Jean Weeling Lee, Managing Director Corvina, 

Directors from Etihad Airways

• Duncan Naysmith, Vice President Financial Reporting
• Bassam A Al Mosa, Vice President Corporate Investments and Subsidiaries

  Source: Etihad Airways