Air Seychelles (Mahe) has announced a net profit of $3 million (US) for 2013, exceeding by 171 percent its profit of $1.1 million (US) reported in 2012.
Revenue increased by 107 percent to $88.7 million (2012: $42.8 million).
The airline’s passenger numbers on its international network increased 100 percent to 195,857 (2012: 97,576), while traffic on domestic services in 2013 increased nine percent to 156,617 passengers.
The impressive 2013 passenger traffic growth was aided by Air Seychelles’ acquisition of a second Airbus A330-200 aircraft in March. The same month the island carrier launched three weekly flights to Hong Kong, and increased frequencies to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and Mauritius, bringing its total international weekly services to 16, up 100 percent.
Johannesburg and Mauritius enjoyed an additional return service per week, connecting each destination three times a week respectively with the Seychelles. The airline’s Abu Dhabi services also increased from four to seven return flights per week.
Abu Dhabi was Air Seychelles’ busiest international route, with a total of 90,746 passengers carried between the archipelago and capital of the United Arab Emirates, a year-on-year increase of 178 percent.
Elsewhere, Air Seychelles saw record cargo volumes in 2013 thanks strong demand to and from France, Italy, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Air Seychelles signed four new codeshare partnerships in 2013, entering agreements with airberlin, Czech Airlines, South African Airways, and Cathay Pacific Airways. These codeshare agreements increased Air Seychelles’ virtual network from 19 to 34 destinations.
In October, Air Seychelles announced a multi-million dollar agreement for the purchase of three new Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft (top and below), its largest ever domestic fleet order signalling the carrier’s long-term commitment to its domestic operations. Two of these aircraft are due to arrive in mid-2014, one year ahead of schedule.
Air Seychelles now plans to welcome the new Twin Otters in July, following which, the aircraft will enter into service between Mahé and Praslin, as well as other islands in the archipelago, including Bird, Denis, D’Arros, and Frégate.
The third Twin Otter aircraft is expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2015. All three new aircraft are part of a phased business plan to refresh the Twin Otter DHC-6 fleet.
Twin Otters were first introduced by Air Seychelles in the early 1980s and the airline currently operates three DHC-6 Series 300 aircraft and 1 DHC-6 Series 400 aircraft.
The 19-seat twin engine Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 aircraft are manufactured by Viking Air in British Columbia, Canada.
Air Seychelles capped a remarkable year of achievements by being awarded a four-star rating by Skytrax, one of 35 global carriers to hold this accolade.
Both Copyright Photos: Air Seychelles is upgrading its Twin Otter inter-island fleet. Top: S7-CUR (msn 846) is the first DHC-6-400 Twin Otter with a digital glass cockpit. Viking Air President and CEO, David C. Curtis, the Seychelles Minister of Home Affairs and Transport and Chairman of Air Seychelles, Joel Morgan, and Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Cramer Ball, outline details of the new Twin Otter fleet order at a press conference.
Air Seychelles: 
Video: Air Seychelles DHC-6-300 Twin Otter landing at Praslin Island Airport (PRI) coming from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ).
Filed under: Air Seychelles Tagged: Air Seychelles, de Havilland Canada, de Havilland Canada DHC-6, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300, DHC-6, DHC-6-300, Mahe, Praslin Island, Seychelles, Twin Otter, Viking Air
