Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, is set to launch direct flights to Mumbai, the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India, starting from December 2.

The new thrice-a-week service will be operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, configured with 16 Business Class and 120 Economy Class seats, said the airline in a stateemt.

Mumbai is the largest city in India and the capital of Maharashtra state. Renowned as a cosmopolitan metropolis, the city is home to Bollywood, and in 2013, was ranked seventh in the world by Forbes magazine as a billionaire city.

With this launch, the number of regional destinations served by Air Seychelles has risen to five, along with Antananarivo, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Mauritius.

Air Seychelles’ CEO Manoj Papa said: "We are thrilled to launch flights to Mumbai.  As one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most exciting travel markets in the world, India represents a considerable opportunity for Air Seychelles."

"Our new Mumbai schedule has been purposely designed to offer business and leisure travellers from India convenient and direct access to the Seychelles islands, one of the world’s most prestigious holiday destinations," he stated.

"Seychelles is an increasingly attractive market for international investors, with many ambitious tourism, property and infrastructure developments planned over the coming years," added Papa.

“Bringing Mumbai into our growing organic network is also a direct result of our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, and how together, we have worked to increase travel options for the benefit of our combined customers, whilst benefiting trade and tourism at each end.

“In addition to supporting Air Seychelles’ expansion into key destinations across the Indian Ocean region, for the Seychelles in particular, both airlines have now put in place the necessary tools and infrastructure to encourage more trade and tourism traffic to the archipelago in the years ahead," observed Papa.

"For example, in India, Air Seychelles will be able to tap into the expertise of Etihad Airways in areas such as sales and marketing," he added.

The convenient early morning arrivals and departures in Mumbai will allow passengers travelling in either direction to enjoy seamless connections between Mumbai and a large number of cities throughout India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kochi.

Flights from the Seychelles, which enjoy two-way connections from Mauritius, Johannesburg, Antananarivo and Dar es Salaam, depart Seychelles International Airport in Mahé at 8.45pm on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, arriving in Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai at 2.55am the following morning.  

On the return leg, the flights will take off from Mumbai at 4am on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and land in Seychelles at 7am the same day, with convenient onward connections to Antananarivo, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Mauritius.  

Joël Morgan, Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs and Transport and Air Seychelles board chairman, said the airline is a key economic enabler for the islands and the launch of the Mumbai service marks a significant and exciting new chapter for Air Seychelles.  

"With more than 42 million international travellers reported out of India last year, and an Indian diaspora of over 2.3 million in the Indian Ocean and Southern and Eastern Africa, I am confident the flights will boost travel and trade between the Seychelles and India, strengthen government and cultural exchanges, and be warmly welcomed by the significant Indian community living and working in the Seychelles, as well as by the substantial Seychellois community who can trace their heritage to India,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service