Air Seychelles to end Abu Dhabi service, add regional frequencies

Indian Ocean carrier Air Seychelles will drop its remaining long-haul route as it increasingly focuses on serving regional destinations. The airline said March 1 that it would end service to Abu Dhabi on May 11. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways holds a 40% stake in Air Seychelles. “In the past year the route has delivered low passenger numbers and we have even noticed weaker travel demand from the UAE, Europe and Asia connecting with the route, making it not a viable ongoing commercial operation for Air Seychelles,” CEO Remco Althuis said. In 2018 the airline cut its key Paris-Seychelles route in the face of increasing competition from European, Middle Eastern and African carriers. It also dropped the route from its home base of Mahé to the Madagascar capital of Antananarivo, which was heavily dependent on feed from the Paris flight. As a result, the company disposed of its two Airbus A330s.<br/>