After its stake in Air Berlin, Etihad is now smiling at another airline: the Abu Dhabi-based airline wants to acquire 40 per cent of Air Seychelles - a memorandum of understanding has been signed to this effect. In total, Etihad wants to invest USD 20 million and put another 25 million into the Seychelles airline as a loan. In addition, a five-year management agreement has been concluded.
In a first step, services between Abu Dhabi and Mahé will be increased from four to seven weekly flights. Codeshare agreements will be concluded on selected routes. Air Seychelles' destination and fleet planning will also be revised.
The national airline of the island state was founded in 1978 and has been operating international flights since 1983, but most of these have since been discontinued. Air Seychelles now only flies a Boeing 767 to Johannesburg and Mauritius in international traffic and otherwise only serves domestic routes with three Twin-Otter 300 and one Shorts 360.
