James Michel, President of the Republic of the Seychelles, today welcomed Air Seychelles' second Airbus A330-200 in a ceremony at Mahé International Airport in Victoria.

The new aircraft, named 'Vallée de Mai' in honour of Seychelles' second UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, was operated by an all-Seychellois crew. At the controls were Captain Paul Belle and First Officer Hervé Morel, with the cabin managed by nine Air Seychelles cabin crew.

The Seychellois-operated flight is a significant milestone for the airline, which only a year ago retired its aging Boeing aircraft and retrained all pilots and cabin crew to operate the Airbus A330.  Equity partner Etihad Airways provided the training at its world-class facilities in Abu Dhabi.

With the national flag waving from the cockpit windows, the aircraft arrived to be greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. Present to witness the arrival were President James Michel, Vice President Danny Faure, Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan, Cabinet Ministers, government officials, diplomats, members of the National Assembly and Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer Cramer Ball.

The arrival of Vallée de Mai was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony by President James Michel.

Mr Ball welcomed the President and distinguished guests aboard for the first tour of the aircraft.  Honouring religious tradition of Seychelles, the new aircraft was blessed by Roman Catholic Bishop Denis Wiehe and Anglican Bishop James Wong, representing the interfaith community of the country, after a reception in the airline's premium lounge.

Mr Ball conveyed his thanks and appreciation to the board, management team and staff.

"This is a proud milestone in the history of Air Seychelles. I feel particularly proud for our Seychellois crew members, who have worked so hard and come so far to create a new and revitalised Air Seychelles. We could not have accomplished this without the support of our partner, Etihad Airways.

"Vallée de Mai allows us to enhance vastly our flexibility and scheduling options, including flying into new markets such as Hong Kong, and increasing frequencies across our existing international routes, whilst reducing transit times and increasing connectivity.

"On the heels of our agreement with the Seychelles Tourism Board, signed last week, our increased international capacity will greatly expand the potential for promotion of Seychelles tourism."

President James Michel congratulated the crew and expressed his pride in the momentous occasion.

"It brings me great happiness and pride to welcome Air Seychelles' second Airbus A330 aircraft. This is a clear demonstration that we are on the right track. The new Air Seychelles, which has emerged from a strong and rewarding partnership with Etihad Airways, epitomises the forward-looking policy for our country's economic infrastructure and facilities."

Joel Morgan, Air Seychelles Chairman, praised the airline for another historic achievement and stated that the strategic partnership with Etihad Airways had yielded strong results with a remarkable turnaround in the company's profitability.

"Our partnership with Etihad proves, despite all initial and unwarranted skepticism, that a small airline can be part of a larger equity partnership without losing its soul and its essence. And on the contrary, it can share a common and laudable vision of being a quality and profitable partner, providing inroads into new markets to the benefit of both partners. The recovery of Air Seychelles not only contributes to the success of the airline and of our economy but as importantly, it improves the destination image of our country.

 It may seem obvious that we are fighting for Air Seychelles but in fact, we are actually fighting for Seychelles.

"We need a stable and viable national airline if we aim to intensify the country's tourism industry. The continued success of Seychelles as a destination imperatively implies a long term, orchestrated strategy partnering tourism and aviation. In most countries, home-based airlines work hand in hand with tourism marketing to vigorously promote the tourism potential and bring about major tourism landmarks. With the improved synergy in the relationship between Air Seychelles and the Seychelles Tourism Board, we will be able to create even more attractive options for visitors to our country, whether they are for business or leisure travel," Minister Morgan added.

To maximise its utilisation and financial returns to Air Seychelles, the aircraft will be deployed on Etihad Airways' network until Air Seychelles' new schedule takes effect on March 24, including new services to Hong Kong and increased frequencies to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and Mauritius.

The A330-200 aircraft is configured with 18 Business class seats and 236 Economy class seats.

Air Seychelles was established in 1978 and began long-haul service in 1983. The airline currently offers international flights to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and Mauritius. Air Seychelles also offers more than 200 domestic scheduled flights a week throughout the archipelago, as well as domestic charter services.

 As the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, Air Seychelles is a pillar of tourism, the island nation's strongest and growing economic sector. The airline maintains a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and 40 per cent stakeholder.

 For more information, please visit: www.airseychelles.com. 

Josie Michaud-Payet

Manager Corporate Communications

Tel:         +248 4 39 10 34

Mob:    +248 2 52 59 28

Email:    jmpayet@airseychelles.com