The weekly flights will also cater for the increasing number of arrivals from the Indian subcontinent.

The national airline has recently secured landing rights with the Chennai authorities and will operate the service on its Mahe-Singapore route.

Flights will leave Mahe on Mondays and stop over in Chennai before going on to Singapore. They will leave Singapore on Wednesdays and return to Mahe via Chennai.

Air Seychelles has chosen Chennai-based general sales agent Global Aviation Services to handle its sales in the Indian destination.

In a press release yesterday, the airline said that since many Seychellois travel to Chennai for medical and other purposes, including business transactions, and with many workers of Indian origin coming into Seychelles from the Chennai area, there is a sound market for servicing that route.

Recent arrival figures show a 57% growth in the number of visitors from Asia, well over half of them from India, thus supporting the logic for operating a non-stop direct service to this country with which Seychelles enjoys good relations.
 
Also Seychelles has a large Indian community, which is very active especially in the business sector and which has interests back in India, the airline said. Members of this community have long been waiting for such direct flights to and from their homeland, which will make their business deals and family visits easier.

Other than its well-known medical and business facilities, Chennai – India’s fourth largest city – is often referred to as the country’s cultural capital as it is steeped in tradition and has a long heritage dating back well over 350 years.
 
With international indicators predicting that the Indian tourism industry is poised for an upward surge, Chennai, well situated by the Bay of Bengal, will undoubtedly remain a major attraction in the Indian package.

Most passengers from India now come to Seychelles on other airlines, which entails a change of planes and long transit periods. By operating flights to and from Chennai, Air Seychelles will not only be filling a void but will be offering a better option to clients who have business interests both in India and locally. 

In adding Chennai to its destinations folio, the airline is also widening the range of products it offers its clients and strengthening its market operations for future developments.