March 21, 2011 – Emirates Airline has announced a 100 per cent increase in frequency between Nairobi and Seychelles through its Dubai hub by end of 2011. As from 28th March 2011, the service will increase to 12 weekly flights. Two further frequencies will be added to the winter schedule, making it a double daily service to the popular Indian Ocean archipelago.
“As compared to January 2010, we are increasing the capacity to Seychelles by 350%,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Regional Manager for East Africa. “This is remarkable by any standards. The increase in frequency is the fruit of all our efforts and investment in improving our connectivity in Africa. We believe the move will further open up the Seychelles’ market to her East African trading partners including Kenya and strengthen the relationship between these countries.”
He continued: “Our recent campaigns have stepped up demand for the route as well as opened up new feeder markets. The increasing number of tourists and businesspeople travelling to Seychelles will welcome these additional flights as they will have more travel options and better connectivity.”Various initiatives to promote partnership between Kenya and Seychelles have been undertaken. In 2009, the two countries entered into a principal agreement to promote “twin centre holidays” to spur cooperation and partnerships, underscoring the enormous potential of multi centre holidays to Africa, with effective air linkages providing the requisite logistics. The corporation includes an open visa regime, where tourists coming to several countries during their holiday can obtain a single visa permitting them to visit for instance eastern Africa and the Seychelles.
Emirates Airline has been flying regularly between Nairobi and the Seychelles’ main international airport on Mahe through its hub in Dubai, offering an ideal extension option for passengers travelling to the Indian Ocean archipelago since January 2005.
From the start of its operations to Seychelles in January 2005, Emirates has promoted the island destination throughout its network. Every year, Emirates Holidays’ brochure – A World of Choice – dedicates a prominent part to the destination.
For Seychelles travellers, the additional frequency will provide more flexibility to Nairobi, Dubai and to the global network of the airline, representing more than 100 destinations around the world.
In 2010, 176,088 tourists visited the Seychelles, representing an increase of 11% over the previous year. The country’s new markets have continued to perform strongly since the launch of Emirates’ service to the archipelago in 2005. The 2010 visitor arrivals from South Africa were up nearly 10% over 2009, a trend echoed by visitor arrivals from Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Russia, China, India, and Reunion.