With less than 200 cases of coronavirus and no reported deaths, Seychelles is proving a worthy holiday destination in 2020. However, the country’s 115 islands lie 1,500km (932 miles) off the eastern coast of Africa, meaning it isn’t the most accessible place to get to. So, how do you get there? We’ve broken down all your options.
Special Permission
Part of the reason Seychelles has had so few cases is that the Seychelles International Airport is effectively closed for all flights. Only a few flights have been granted special permission from the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority to continue flying to the islands.
Considering the country is so close to Africa’s eastern edge, it’s no surprise that Ethiopian Airlines has been granted permission to continue flying to the islands. Flight ET879 flies to the capital of Victoria on Mahe island on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. The flight leaves Addis Ababa at 9.30 local time and returns the same day, leaving Seychelles at 17:45.
Another airline that is still operating in and out of Seychelles is Emirates. Flights directly from Dubai are operating on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The flight leaves Dubai at 02:10 and arrives in Victoria at 06:45. Currently, Emirates is using its Boeing 777s on this route.
Aside from Victoria, which is the capital of Seychelles and home to the international airport, the next major airport is Praslin Domestic Airport on the second-largest island of Praslin. This is served regularly by Air Seychelles. In fact, the trips between the island are so popular, it can operate as many as 64 times each week. As well as running many international routes, Air Seychelles offers short-haul, domestic flights between the main islands.
Normal travel
When it’s not restricting international visitors, getting to Seychelles is not too difficult. British Airways flies directly from London several times a week. You can also fly with Air France, straight from Paris. Condor Airlines also flies to Seychelles, directly from Frankfurt.
Etihad flies to Seychelles from Abu Dhabi, Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul, and Qatar Airlines operates a flight several times a week from Doha. Flights from the Middle East region only take around 5 hours, while flights from most European destinations have approximately 10 hours in the air.
Air Seychelles
Alternatively, the national airline, Air Seychelles, normally operates routes to Ahmedabad and Mumbai in India, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Athens in Greece, Bahrain, Bangkok, Beijing, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Denmark and to Chicago in the US.
The airline was founded in 1978 when tourism started to become a big part of the country’s economy. It started long-haul services in the 80s and hasn’t looked back. The airline has codeshare agreements with Etihad Airways, South African Airways, Air India, and Alitalia.
Reopening borders
Although travel restrictions are still in place, Seychelles is reopening for business. Since August 1st, the borders have reopened, and more and more flights are resuming. Having said that, masks are still required, and passengers must show a negative test result upon arrival. The country has said anyone without a negative test will be refused entry and will be told to return on the same flight. It is not clear if the state, airline, or individual will be made to pay for this.
Overall, Seychelles are very accessible islands, with or without a global pandemic. However, with current restrictions and every-changing guidance, it’s definitely best to check with your airline before flying.
