With Gulf hubs knocked out or in half service, Air Seychelles returns to Europe: flights to Rome from March 28

In the 1990s, and then again in the first decade of the current millennium, Air Seychelles aircraft were a constant and frequent presence in European skies.

Its Boeing 767-200ERs and -300ERs first and A330-200s later flew also in Milan and Rome. The 'game' lasted until the fleets and networks of the three Gulf biggies exploded and Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have begun offering connections to Indian Ocean islands with stopovers at their hubs at prices far more competitive than those of the Mahé-based carrier.

In the second half of the second decade of the new millennium, Air Seychelles finally surrendered to the Three Sisters, removing routes to Europe from its network and wide-body aircraft from its fleet, operating on barely more than regional routes with only two Airbus A320neo aircraft, flanked by a squadron of Twin Otters used for domestic flights between the islands of the archipelago.

However, with the hubs of the biggies blocked, or reduced to half service, by the crisis in the Middle East, avoiding the Gulf has become the buzzword in recent weeks of those from Europe who want to fly to Asia, the Indian Ocean and Africa (or in the opposite direction).

And so, eight years after its last nonstop connection to Europe, Air Seychelles has decided to return to connecting Mahè with the Old Continent. And among the two destinations announced is Rome Fiumicino, which will be served twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays).

Flying on the route on Wednesdays and Saturdays will be an Airbus A320neo, which will stop in both directions at Hurghada in Egypt to refuel (because the 320neo has no range to fly the eight hours between Mahé and Fiumicino). The plane is equipped with two classes of service: a 12-seat non-lie-flat Business Class configured 2-2 and a 156-seat Economy (3-3).

The note released by the company, announcing direct flights to the Eternal City, explicitly mentions the existing situation in the Middle East: "The introduction of this route comes at a time when airspace closures in parts of the Middle East have disrupted traditional transit routes through Gulf hubs. By offering a direct connection between Seychelles and Europe, Air Seychelles aims to provide passengers with a reliable and efficient travel alternative during this time of global disruptions in air travel."

Instead, the connection to Paris Charles De Gaulle, operating from March 20 and (for the time being) until April 29, will be nonstop, with three weekly flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (with the overnight Paris-Mahè and the daytime Mahè-Paris). Of course, Air Seychelles certainly could not procure within a few days a widebody with which to operate flights.

So, on the strength of its partnership with the Emirates airline, it sought help from Etihad, which having dozens of parked and unused planes around the world due to the war, it was quite happy to sign a wet lease with which it will provide one of its Boeing 787-9s for just over a month. complete with crew to the Seychelles company. The plane is configured in two classes, with 28 seats in Business Class and 262 in Economy.

Air Seychelles is part of the Alliance Vanille, a regional alliance among eastern Indian Ocean companies. But by flying there, you can earn points from the Etihad Guest program., as the two carriers have established a code-sharing relationship for years.