Air Seychelles will support 7,800 jobs and add US$ 235 million to Seychelles’ Economy in 2016

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, will support 7,800 jobs across Seychelles and contribute US$ 235 million to the national economy in 2016, according to the latest forecasts by the UK-based global consultancy Oxford Economics.

It is also estimated by Oxford Economics that Air Seychelles will provide 2,200 people with employment and add US$ 65 million to the Seychelles’ economy through its core operations including expenditures on fuel, maintenance costs and local Seychellois suppliers. Breaking the research down further, this includes approximately 800 direct jobs at Air Seychelles in Seychelles; 800 indirect jobs supported by the airline’s procurement of goods and services, and 600 additional jobs supported by staff spending their wages in Seychelles.

The study goes on to state that in 2016 the airline is expected to carry close to 549,000 passengers, of which approximately 348,000 passengers will travel to and from Seychelles.  Among these, some 106,000 guests will be international visitors into Seychelles and will predominantly be from Europe, Africa and Asia, whose tourism-related spending on accommodation, food, and leisure activities will amount to US$ 170 million, supporting some 5,600 jobs.

Air Seychelles’ domestic services, an integral part of the Seychelles’ aviation network, will carry 201,000 passengers in 2016 on scheduled flights to and from Praslin and charter flights to other islands in the Archipelago.

In addition to the above, the economic benefits of enhanced air connectivity between Seychelles and the rest of the world, as a result of Air Seychelles’ operations, has been valued by Oxford Economics at US$ 35 million this year, representing 2.3 per cent of the national GDP and equivalent to 1,000 jobs.

Joel Morgan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport and Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: “The national airline is one of the key pillars of economic development of Seychelles, and in this sense the success of Air Seychelles directly contributes to the development of the whole country.

“The Government of the Republic of Seychelles led by President James Michel has continuously supported the implementation of comprehensive transformations since the initiation of the strategic partnership with Etihad Airways and the results are proving that the airline’s management is applying correct measures.”

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Air Seychelles’ operations and wide economic footprint through Seychelles have a strong positive knock-on effect on the national economy and, as the report shows, opened up thousands of jobs in Seychelles.

“Air Seychelles is a successful and profitable business, making a significant difference to the lives of many Seychellois and their families.  For the Etihad Aviation Group, it remains a gateway to the Indian Ocean and as a key partner, we remain committed to working together to strengthen its position further.”

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “As this research shows, the contribution that Air Seychelles makes to the national economy and the development of the tourism industry in Seychelles is significant and goes way beyond the obvious and immediate contribution of just the airline.

“Many jobs in hotels, restaurants, local leisure activity providers, ground and boat transport companies, travel agencies, destination management companies and throughout the tourism industry, all benefit from Air Seychelles and the guests it brings into the country and create further employment opportunities for Seychellois nationals.

"Inbound tourism is critical for Seychelles and I hope that in the months and years ahead the collaborative hard work of both the national airline and the Seychelles’ tourism industry stakeholders will make further advances towards building the awareness of Seychelles and attracting even more tourists to the beautiful shores of the Seychelles’ archipelago in the Indian Ocean.”