Air Seychelles / Etihad Airways to Launch Flights to Hong Kong

Etihad Airways is, subject to regulatory approval, to launch codeshare services to Hong Kong in February 2013 in partnership with Air Seychelles.

The three weekly return services between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong will be operated by the airline’s equity and codeshare partner, Air Seychelles.

“Hong Kong’s fast growing economy and booming middle class have brought a remarkable increase in the number of travellers in recent years,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer. “The new service connects two of the world’s leading international financial and tourism centres, a move we believe will stimulate the growth of commerce and trade between the UAE and China, the UAE’s second largest trading partner.”

The flight schedule will provide leisure and business passengers from Hong Kong with seamless connectivity through Etihad Airways’ hub in Abu Dhabi, to key destinations across the GCC and to key destinations in Europe including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ireland.

The schedule also allows two-way connectivity between Hong Kong and the Seychelles, supporting a booming tourism industry on the archipelago.

“With our 40% equity stake in Air Seychelles, it makes strong commercial sense for us to work together on opportunities where cooperation is possible. The resulting synergies bring about significant efficiency benefits for both Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles,” Mr Hogan added.

Air Seychelles will operate an A330-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration on the route, with 18 Pearl Business class and 236 Coral Economy class seats.

Cramer Ball, Air Seychelles’ Chief Executive Officer, said, “The Seychelles needs a national carrier which can support the growing number of travellers into the archipelago, not just from our historical markets in Europe, but also the powerful emerging ones.  Hong Kong’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world, supporting a booming middle class with a high disposable income per capita by global standards. These factors have brought a remarkable increase in the number of travellers coming out of the region in recent years. In fact, since 2010, the number of travellers coming to the Seychelles from Hong Kong has more than doubled. We see Hong Kong as a significant driver for future tourism growth in the Seychelles, so we are positioning Air Seychelles to seize the opportunity and support this vital market.”

The Seychelles is a visa-free destination, meaning all visitors can receive visas on arrival. Seychellois citizens are also not required to have visas for travel to Hong Kong.

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