Ethiopian Airlines is back! |30 September 2014

Ethiopian Airlines returned to Seychelles yesterday to a colourful welcome at the Pointe Larue International Airport.
The 118-seater plane was more than three-quarters full, with mainly Chinese tourists.

The airline’s passengers were greeted on arrival with yellow roses and traditional music and dance by local artists.

“Every airline that lands here is a very important step for the Seychelles tourism industry. Important because we depend on air access to make our industry work. So today we are relieved that out of three airlines that had stopped serving Seychelles, two are now back – which is Air Austral and today Ethiopian Airlines,” said the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange who was at the airport to welcome Ethiopian Airlines.

He said this shows confidence in the Seychelles destination and that we are working as a country to attract airlines to come back.

“We need to keep on working as it is a long and meticulous work to show that there is enough market to come here and that as a country we want the airlines to come,” said the minister.

He added that the most important thing is that Ethiopian Airlines has opened new avenues for different markets, such as China, to access Seychelles.

He expressed his wish that the airline will keep on attracting such market and also European visitors to our country.

The minister added that Ethiopian Airlines is one means of air transport that Chinese tour operators offer their visitors so they can go through Africa, enjoy it, and then fly to Seychelles.

As the airline has a direct flight to France, the minister said he was confident this will allow the Seychelles to recapture its French market.
Ethiopian Airlines is operating three flights a week and its local sales agent is Mason’s Travel.
The airline will soon have its own representative based here.