Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways host top Unisey students on educational tour

Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways have hosted a group of high-performing graduates from the University of Seychelles (UniSey) on an educational, two-day tour of Etihad Airways and the city of Abu Dhabi.

During the familiarization trip, which took place between 3 and 4 February, the group of 23 graduates were taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre, a research facility dedicated to the development of next-generation products and services; the Etihad Airways Training Academy, where Air Seychelles cabin and flight crew undergo safety and service training; and the Network Operations department, which is responsible for the daily management of aircraft.

The group returned today on flight HM187 and were welcomed at the Air Seychelles VIP Lounge by Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, and Professor Dennis Hardy, Vice-Chancellor of UniSey, where they discussed their experience and impressions of the tour and capital of the UAE.

Mr Kinnear said: “This trip was a fantastic opportunity for Seychellois graduates to get a first-hand look at the aviation industry, learn about our winning partnership with Etihad Airways and find out more about the exciting career prospects at Air Seychelles.

“We place a strong emphasis on future planning at Air Seychelles, and part of that strategy involves identifying and investing in our country’s young professionals who can continue to strengthen the business in the years to come.

“Several top-calibre UniSey graduates have already joined our team and are making a valuable contribution to the business, and we look forward to welcoming more on board in the future.”

The group was selected for the trip as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Air Seychelles and UniSey aimed at providing vocational training and employment opportunities for academic achievers.

They were accompanied on the visit by Sheryl Barra and Elsie Hurst, who recently completed the Graduate Management Development Program, a carefully-designed internship where members are rotated through key Etihad Airways departments before taking up management-level roles in Air Seychelles.

In addition to learning about aviation, the group was taken on a city tour by Hala Abu Dhabi, the award-winning destination management division of Etihad Airways, giving graduates a chance to see the attractions of the glamorous capital and experience its culture and traditions.

Professor Hardy said: “We would like to thank Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways for organising this trip for our best graduates. They have benefited from an inside look at a best-in-class airline and are now more knowledgeable about the different career paths in aviation.

“This group included graduates of a wide range of specializations, from Law to Environmental Sciences and Accounting, proving that the aviation field is truly multi-disciplinary and requires talent from many different fields.

“We consider Air Seychelles to be a valuable and like-minded partner, and look forward to our future collaboration so that we can continue to build up the nation’s pool of young, professional Seychellois.”