Joel Morgan, Minister for Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy, said this during a ceremony on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of civil aviation in Seychelles.

Among the guests at the Seychelles International Airport for this auspicious occasion were President James Michel and former President James Mancham, as well as Vice-President Danny Faure.

Mr Morgan said there is a maximum of 17 international scheduled flights arriving or departing Seychelles daily, an average of 82 weekly flights and the Seychelles International Airport handle up to 1.2 million passengers per year.
“The opening of the airport in 1971 was the catalyst for the tourism industry and during that year when the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Super VC-10 flew to Seychelles, we welcomed 1,622 tourists.”
By 1974, this figure had risen dramatically to 19,784 tourists.

For the year 2010, over 173,450 visitors arrived by air to our shores and contributed R2.45 billion rupees in foreign exchange earnings to our national economy, an increase of 22% in earnings over the previous year, he said.
Mr Morgan added that to ensure this continuous increase in tourism arrivals, Seychelles must actively seek airline services from new and emerging tourism markets.

He said this needs to be coupled with the signing of new bilateral air service agreements such as the one signed in July last year between Seychelles and the Republic of Korea.

“It may also be necessary to consider having a horizontal air service agreement with the European Union in order to provide for better air access possibilities to Seychelles,” he said.

“The government’s decision to create the SCAA in 2005 has brought about positive changes in the way civil aviation operates.”

In 2001 following major redevelopment works, a new and modern passenger terminal was inaugurated on Praslin Airport. A longer and larger runway was also constructed to accommodate bigger aircraft, he said.

With the increase in air traffic, the SCAA is continuously investing in infrastructure upgrading so as to cater for demand.

Seychelles International Airport users have over the last five years benefitted from better parking facilities, upgraded terminal facilities and better check-in facilities.

The second phase of the concourse upgrading, the extension of the arrival and departure lounge, more safety on the apron with a better lighting system, the upgrading of the cargo terminal are ongoing projects that the SCAA is undertaking to ensure sustained capacity and growth, consistent with safety.

The SCAA chief executive Gilbert Faure said the theme chosen for this anniversary is ‘Delivering on experience with vision’.

“We have gained 40 years of aviation experience, we are now mature enough to target new levels of successes, hence our vision to be the most competitive business in the region.”

”With the trust placed in the SCAA since 2005 by giving us the operational and financial flexibility to react dynamically to challenges and opportunities, and the support we have been receiving from government, we are confident we will succeed,” he said.

Mr Mancham was the first passenger to set foot on the airport in 1971 when the BOAC Super VC 10 landed.
He was the chief minister then and played a significant role in pushing for such a project.

He said it was his vision to open Seychelles to the rest of the world as it has great potential for the tourism industry.

The opening of the Seychelles International Airport took place on March 20, 1972 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.