Letter to the Editor - Thank you for truth about runway |21 May 2018

I wish to commend you for your approach in news handling, without taking sides or seeming to cover up even when hiding things is not necessary.

I read with interest your Saturday May 19 analytical article about the status of the Seychelles International Airport and the truth that it cannot take an Airbus A380 contrary to earlier suggestions where we even have pictures of an A380 in Air Seychelles Livery. If we acquired one where would it be landing, or would it be flying around the world without ever coming home like our tankers?

Allow me to commend the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority for coming out with the truth.

I am not saying that the government has not done much to improve our aviation infrastructure, but your article entitled ‘Airport runway too narrow for diverted A380’ strongly showed we need to do more. We need to expand the airport like the many other countries around us who are doing so according to your newspaper.

We are leaders in tourism and we cannot afford to have visitors overflying us heading for other destinations.

On the same breath, let me say we need to open up more and tell the truth yet further. For example, there is no need to show that tourists are safe from this and that and even exaggerate.

The damage caused by giving false sense of security if something happens is far worse than if we tell the truth and lose one or two cowardly visitors.

While at it, while we must maintain Seychelles exclusivity, I hope we will know soon enough if and when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex come here for their honeymoon.

By the way I was happy to know why the A380 has so many wheels!

Please keep up the good work, Mr Editor.

Hotelier

South Mahé

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this letter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.