Air Seychelles launches direct flight to Durban

Apr 1, 2017: KwaZulu-Natal received the inaugural flight of Air Seychelles to Durban's King Shaka International Airport. Air Seychelles will be flying a twice weekly non-stop service on Thursdays and Saturdays, connecting Durban and Mahé,Seychelles, using an Airbus A320 Aircraft with a 16 seat business class and 120-seat economy configuration, which will achieve an average flight time of 5 hours, 20 minutes.

Sihle Zikalala, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs said, "KwaZulu-Natal, with its thriving tourism sector, placed great importance in opening its borders to foreign visitors. These include a combination of general tourists and potential investors who contribute significantly to the region's economic growth.  This new airline route will therefore further help in facilitating that movement of leisure and business travelers between KwaZulu-Natal and the Seychelles."

King Shaka International Airport,Durban has seen an increase in the number of regional and international airlines, which have introduced new air services into the airport; since late 2015 Durban has attracted six new airlines, which together provide onward connections to over 700 destinations around the globe.    

Hamish Erskine, CEO, Dube TradePort Corporation noted, "The KwaZulu-Natal Route Development Committee has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure the introduction of new regional and international air services to Durban's King Shaka International Airport.  Strategically presenting data driven business cases to airlines, we aim to show route planners, from around the world, the potential market that exists within Durban and the rest of KwaZulu-Natal.  We are always motivated when a new airline takes up our offer and commences a new route into Durban. We had been in talks with Air Seychelles for the last 12 months for them to put on this new non-stop route."

Air Seychelles will provide onward connectivity to key destinations across Europe, the Far East, India and the Middle East, through the hub in Abu Dhabi. Air Seychelles' connection to Mumbai will provide a convenient travel option for KwaZulu-Natal and other neighbouring provinces.

The new route will strengthen socio-economic cooperation between Durban and Seychelles and will contribute towards inter-regional development by becoming another commercial launch pad for KwaZulu-Natal into the rest of the world.