Part of Ile Platte leased for hotel development |25 January 2017

The Islands Development Company (IDC) has given details of a part of Ile Platte which has been leased for a hotel project, construction of which is expected to start by the end of this year.

IDC’s chief executive Glenny Savy has however denied reports that the hotel will be managed by Four Seasons. This, although IDC was approached by Petite Anse Development which represents Four Seasons in Seychelles and is the actual investor in the project. He rather states that two parcels have been leased to a new company, Platte Island Development Ltd, of which IDC is a shareholder.

“A decision has not been taken yet regarding the management of the hotel. This may depend on who offers the better deal,” he said.

Mr Savy has explained that based on past experiences where two previous investors had failed to start their proposed projects, the IDC board decided that the company becomes a partner as a minority shareholder.

He added that Platte Island Development Ltd will be subject to the same conditions that were agreed upon with the previous developers. This means, permission to construct a hotel of not more than 65 rooms. An Environment Assessment (EIA) was not necessary for that purpose as it had already been done since 2003.

Mr Savy has insisted that only part of Platte Island and not all the island has been leased, with the staff village, guest house and airstrip remaining under IDC management.

However, Platte Island Development Ltd has agreed to upgrade the one kilometre long grass airstrip with a concrete hard surface as well as the installation of lights to permit night operations, the project costing R3 million.

Mr Savy also took the opportunity to explain flight operations to islands managed by IDC. He clarified that all of the company’s four aircraft fly to and from Mahé, with only connections to neighbouring foreign territories like Mauritius, South Africa and Madagascar in exceptional circumstances.

These are cases of medical evacuation, for example from Mauritius owned Agalega which is closer to Mahé, or rare cases of transit of sports teams or dignitaries.

Mr Savy however insisted that the transits are for technical purposes especially refuelling, and not for transport of tourists.

According to the IDC CEO, all of these operations are legally done with due permission from the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) and with clearing procedures ensured by other relevant authorities such as the Immigration and Customs departments, Public Health Authority and even the National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA). This, he added, is also the case for cruise ships.  

As for private jets which do carry tourists to hotels on islands like Desroches and Alphonse, Mr Savy confirmed that they are all legal flights which follow the same regulations and conditions.

“Never in 35 years has a flight from overseas landed on an IDC island without necessary permission. This is information which can be easily verified,” he said.

Regarding the license of IDC Aviation to fly its aircraft, Mr Savy has insisted that the company “has never been in illegality”. In only one instance, he said, an aircraft was grounded in Réunion as the French authorities there had instructed the change of a navigation instrument.