Air Seychelles honours long-serving staff at special awards ceremony

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, presented 56 staff with long-service awards last night in recognition of their outstanding dedication to the airline.

The special awards ceremony took place in the VIP Lounge at the airport where the staff, who have all been with the company for over 10 to 40 years, were thanked for their years of service.

The group came from various airline departments including Ground Operations, Quality and Safety, Information Technology, Cabin Operations, Flight Operations, Procurement and Supply Chain, Revenue Management, Sales and Distribution, Planning and Finance, Human Resources, Technical Operations and Cargo.

Joel Morgan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport and Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: "Many Seychellois have enjoyed long and successful careers at Air Seychelles, showing that our national airline is a great place to work and build a bright future.

"As one of our country’s biggest employers, it is hard to overstate the valuable contribution that Air Seychelles has made to employment in the country over the past four decades.

“We congratulate all the long-serving staff for their loyalty and dedication to Air Seychelles and the air travel industry in Seychelles, which has been a key driver of growth in the economy.”

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: "Our long-serving staff have played a crucial role in the development of Air Seychelles over the years and we want to thank them and share our appreciation for their hard work and commitment.

“More than eight per cent of our employees have reached milestones of 10 and above years with the airline, which speaks volumes about the know-how and experience we have accumulated at the company.

“We currently have 753 staff, with a good mix of younger and more experienced Seychellois working side-by-side, and are always investing in our people to ensure we remain one of the best employers.

“Air Seychelles offers many roles and career progression paths in aviation, which is why we say that we provide not just a job, but a career - as our long-serving staff demonstrate.”

During the evening, Ellen Jack, Human Resources Manager at Air Seychelles, was one of the staff honoured for working at the airline for 40 years.

Remarking on her career, she said: “I have enjoyed working at Air Seychelles from the very first day. The airline has grown a lot since the 1970s and my area of work, human resources, has shifted to have a much bigger focus on people development. This new emphasis on training and upskilling people is exciting as we get to see our people achieve greater and greater levels of success.”

George Desaubin, Ramp Service Manager in Ground Operations, was recognised for more than 25 years of service at Air Seychelles last night.

He also shared his experience of the airline’s growth, saying: “Air Seychelles operations at the airport have grown multiple times over the past years. Today we manage a complex operation that involves more than 300 domestic and 60 international services a week. Seeing the progress first-hand and being part of the change has been a phenomenal experience.”

Captain Christoph Larue was recognized for 15 years of service at Air Seychelles and sharing his experience with the airline, noted: “Flying the Creole spirit with Air Seychelles has been a tough, but a very rewarding journey.  Having started as the pilot on Twin Otter aircraft to become a Captain on the jet fleet, I am very grateful for the career opportunity and development Air Seychelles has offered me. 

“I was especially thrilled to be honoured as Captain in Command on the Airbus A330 for the flyover performed on the occasion of the 40^th National Day of Seychelles celebration and will continue to make my country proud of the Seychellois pilots serving the national airline.”