Seychelles and Madagascar reach air services deal

Seychelles and Madagascar have concluded a new bilateral air services agreement that would improve flight links between countries of the region, sources in Victoria disclosed on Friday.According to them, aviation officials from both countries met at the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) head office for the final negotiations which culminated in the signing of the agreement.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gilbert Faure, the chief executive officer of the SCAA, said the new agreement is consistent with the region’s integration agenda by dint of improved connectivity and the promotion of the two destinations as economic hubs.  The new framework encompasses all the requirements of commercial operations in today’s modern aviation era to include cooperative arrangement, aircraft leasing and enhanced capacity arrangements to benefit both countries, he added.

Joel Morgan, Seychelles’ Minister for Home Affairs and Transport, commended the new deal, saying it reflected the momentum of air transport development in his country.  The new development is seen as a crucial stage in a bilateral drive to restore direct air links between Seychelles and Madagascar.

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