Air Seychelles’ third Boeing 767 joins international fleet

Air Seychelles’ third Boeing 767 joins international fleet - 10.12.2007

Air Seychelles’ latest addition to its international fleet, the Boeing 767-200 aircraft named La Belle Creole, touched down at the Seychelles International Airport at exactly 5.15 p.m. on Saturday from Johannesburg.

The aircraft, which carried a total of 180 commercial passengers on this first flight, spent around three weeks in South Africa where it had undergone refurbishing and upgrading works such as repainting it in the Air Seychelles corporate colour scheme and the altered livery, improving the cabin seating reconfiguration and interior refresh program, among other technical and engineering work.

These works were undertaken by South African Airways Technical (SAAT) and were  closely monitored by a team of Air Seychelles engineers to ensure that all the engineering quality and safety standards were maintained.

The aircraft, which can carry a total of 222 passengers, has been sub-leased from a British firm , XL Airways UK Limited based at London – Gatwick  The lease is for a duration of 30 months as from November this year and the aircraft will be returned to its owner in June 2010. This new addition to the international fleet will be deployed principally on regional routes namely Mauritius, Bangkok, Singapore and Johannesburg.

Commenting on this new acquisition, Air Seychelles Chairman & Chief Executive, Captain David Savy, said : “The acquisition of this new aircraft , which enters into service one week earlier than expected, meets increased demands on the destination and is in line with our policy to bring in more visitors to Seychelles. This third B767 allows Air Seychelles to expand its regional network as well as increase frequency to current destinations ”.

The aircraft has an all economy configuration with 85 seats at a 38” pitch in an enhanced economy class called EcoPlus and 135 seats with a 35” pitch in the regular Economy Class. The seats have a 2 - 4 - 2 seating arrangement .

The aircraft’s name, La Belle Creole, which is yet to be inscribed on either sides of the aircraft’s front nose, was given by Mrs Germaine Morel of Baie Lazare who was also present to witness the arrival of the plane on Saturday.

The signage of the Air Seychelles brand will also be altered to align it to the national Seychelles tourism brand currently used by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB).

“Air Seychelles will alter its livery on the B767-200 aircraft in order to align the Air Seychelles typeface with that of the destination Seychelles as it figures in
‘The Seychelles Islands – Another World’  brand,” said Captain Savy, who is also a board director of the STB.
La Belle Creole, which was under the command of Captain Ralph Saminadin and co-pilot Mervin Sicobo, was showered with a water canon mounted by the Airport Fire Services to salute its arrival and to mark its first commercial flight.

Passengers disembarking from Saturday’s flight were also presented with flower garlands around their neck by the airline’s ground staff.