Air Seychelles

Company profile

Air Seychelles is the national flag carrier of the Republic of Seychelles, founded in 1977 and wholly owned by the Seychelles government. It is headquartered in Victoria on Mahé and hubs at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ). The airline is an important regional carrier in the Indian Ocean, with international scheduled routes and inter-island commuter service.

The IATA two-letter code is HM, the ICAO three-letter code is SEY and the radio call sign is SEYCHELLES. The website is airseychelles.com. Etihad Airways once held a stake in the airline, which is now wholly government owned.

The fleet consists of Airbus A320neo narrowbodies and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter twin turboprops. The A320neo flies regional international routes to Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Mumbai, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Tel Aviv and Réunion, while the Twin Otter runs the Mahé to Praslin (PRI) commuter service with more than twenty flights a day.

For a shipper in China, Seychelles is a high-end Indian Ocean tourism economy with almost no manufacturing, so consumer goods, building materials and hotel supplies are largely imported. Air Seychelles does not fly to China; Chinese cargo usually reaches Mahé through Colombo (CMB) or Dubai (DXB) and continues in the belly of the A320neo or is distributed to other islands by Twin Otter. Colombo is the main gateway for Chinese cargo into Seychelles.

Contact and commercial handling

Air Seychelles has no published office or cargo sales point in China. International cargo sales are managed by the cargo department at the Mahé head office.

To use space through the Mahé gateway, deal with us directly. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) can arrange the mainline flight from a Chinese gateway to Colombo or Dubai and secure space on the HM onward sector. Contact details are on goodhope86.com.

Fleet and aircraft characteristics

The Air Seychelles fleet divides by role into international narrowbody sectors and inter-island turboprop sectors. International cargo capacity comes from the A320neo belly hold, and inter-island distribution is flown by Twin Otter.

The A320neo is a new-generation narrowbody seating 168, with a belly payload of several tonnes. Chinese cargo connecting through Colombo continues to Mahé SEZ on the HM A320neo. The Twin Otter flies more than twenty times a day between the islands and accepts cargo 60 minutes before departure, with pickup 30 minutes after arrival, which suits urgent restocking. Schedules change with the season; the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

Airport service and routes from China

Air Seychelles has no published direct cargo service from China and stations no aircraft at any Chinese airport. Its international routes are concentrated around the Indian Ocean and do not reach China.

Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun, the main Chinese gateways, both have flights to Colombo and Dubai. After arrival at SEZ, Air Seychelles runs a permanent handling counter at the Mahé cargo terminal and can arrange clearance and onward island service.

Where Chinese cargo can connect

After arrival on Mahé, Air Seychelles connects to the following directions.

The value of the Colombo gateway is this: consumer goods, hotel supplies and building materials from China reach CMB, continue to Mahé on the HM A320neo and are distributed to Praslin by Twin Otter. Schedules change with the season; the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

What the route offers from China to Seychelles

From the point of view of shipping from China to Seychelles, Air Seychelles offers the following through the Mahé gateway.

Dedicated cargo services

For cargo exported from China and entering Seychelles through the Colombo gateway, Air Seychelles Cargo offers the following products.

Belly cargo to Mahé

Carries hotel supplies, catering inputs, consumer goods, building materials and small electrical products from China. Cargo arrives at SEZ from Colombo or Dubai, clears customs and serves the Seychelles tourism and retail market.

Urgent inter-island cargo

Twin Otter island flights run more than 20 times a day and accept cargo 60 minutes before departure, with pickup 30 minutes after arrival. Urgent restocking and catering inputs from China can reach Praslin the day they arrive on Mahé.

Indian Ocean connections

Through the Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius and Johannesburg points, Chinese cargo can transit Mahé and continue to markets around the Indian Ocean.

Actual schedules for these services change with the season; the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

How to book

Air Seychelles has no sales organisation in China, so booking through a professional forwarder is the most efficient route. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) offers the following.

Network: from China to Seychelles

The diagram shows Chinese cargo reaching Mahé through the Colombo gateway and then being distributed to Praslin and other islands.

Cargo types and handling notes for Seychelles

Seychelles is a high-end Indian Ocean tourism economy built on tourism, with almost no local industry. Chinese exports serve two markets: hotels and local retail.

Hotel supplies and catering inputs

Seychelles hotels import food, tableware, guest room supplies and maintenance spares. Chinese linen, disposable items, small kitchen equipment and decorative materials continue through Colombo to Mahé and go straight to hotel purchasing. These goods are moderately time-sensitive and suit LCL consolidation.

Consumer goods and retail products

Household goods, clothing, small appliances and plastic products in Seychelles retail are mostly imported from China. They clear at Mahé, enter the Victoria wholesale market and are resold to island shops.

Building materials and small electrical products

Residential and tourism construction continues in Seychelles, and Chinese cement products, steel, hardware and small generators clear at SEZ for local projects.

Ground handling at the Mahé SEZ hub

Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) lies in the northeast of Mahé and is the only international airport in the country. Cargo arriving from Colombo or Dubai must clear customs at the airport cargo terminal before distribution to Victoria or other islands.

Cargo terminal and ground handler

The SEZ cargo terminal is run by the Air Seychelles local team together with a third-party ground agent. Cargo can be received, depalletised and held under customs supervision in the same terminal. As an island state, Seychelles keeps clearance simple, but plant and animal products and food must meet the requirements of the Seychelles agricultural and standards authorities.

Inter-island distribution time

After clearance, cargo destined for Praslin can connect directly at SEZ airport to a Twin Otter. There are more than twenty flights a day and the hop from Mahé to Praslin takes fifteen minutes, so urgent hotel restocking from China can arrive the same day.

Catering and fresh cargo

Seychelles hotels depend on imported fresh food and catering inputs, and frozen food, drinks and condiments from China must move in an unbroken cold chain. Air Seychelles belly capacity can be arranged to a temperature requirement, and the exact range is confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.

Choosing a corridor

Options for shipping from China to Seychelles are limited, and the Colombo gateway is currently the most established.

Direct flights to Colombo

Several airlines fly nonstop from China to Colombo, so cargo can reach CMB within a day from Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun and other gateways. Air Seychelles has a permanent point at CMB with a regular A320neo belly service, so Chinese cargo can connect the same day for Mahé.

Compared with the Dubai corridor

Cargo can also transit Dubai (DXB) to Seychelles on Emirates and other carriers at high frequency but over a longer distance. Colombo is closer to Seychelles and suits time-sensitive hotel restocking. Choose the gateway that fits the cargo.

Indian Ocean and southeast Africa connections

From the Mahé hub, Chinese cargo can continue to Mauritius, Réunion, Johannesburg and other points in the Indian Ocean and southeast Africa. Exporters with multi-point Indian Ocean demand can cover several destinations with one transit at SEZ.

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited can plan the mainline from China to Colombo plus the Air Seychelles onward sector around your cargo and destination. You do not need to appoint a local agent in Seychelles: booking through us covers the whole chain from the Chinese gateway to the consignee on Mahé.

Trade flows and cargo mix

The Seychelles archipelago comprises more than a hundred islands, of which Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are the main inhabited ones. High-end tourism and fishing carry the economy, manufacturing is almost nonexistent, and food, building materials, consumer goods and energy supplies are largely imported.

Main cargo types exported from China to Seychelles

Hotel linen, disposable items, catering inputs, kitchen equipment, decorative materials and furniture for the Seychelles hotel trade are mostly imported from China. Household goods, clothing, small appliances, plastic products and hardware in local retail also come mainly from China. Rope, netting and small spares for the fishing and ship repair trade come from China as well.

Restocking before the tourism season

The Seychelles high season falls in the European winter, from November to February. Hotel supplies from China are shipped two to three months before the season. Lock in space through the Colombo gateway and on the Air Seychelles onward sector early, before peak demand tightens capacity.

Perishables and temperature-controlled cargo

High-end Seychelles hotels import fresh food, frozen food and premium drinks steadily. Frozen dim sum, sauces and tea from China can continue through Colombo to Mahé under temperature control. The exact range and handling requirements are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.

We can help Chinese hotel supply exporters and retail wholesalers plan the shipping rhythm for the year, reserving space before the season and using full-pallet loads in the low season to cut unit cost.

What we handle

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited has long run air freight from China to the Indian Ocean. For Seychelles we cover the following steps, all usable directly by a shipper in China.

Cargo consolidation at China ports and customs declaration

You can deliver at Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun or another gateway, and we handle consolidation, export declaration and booking through the Colombo gateway. For hotel supplies and retail cargo to Seychelles we ship full pallets or consolidated pallets.

Matching the gateway to the season

Air Seychelles does not fly to China, so we choose a Colombo or Dubai transit according to season and capacity and tell you the end-to-end transit time at booking. Two to three months before the tourism season we secure space on the Air Seychelles onward sector in advance.

Arrival tracking and island connections

Once cargo leaves China we track the waybill throughout. On arrival at SEZ we help arrange clearance and connect to the Twin Otter island flight for Praslin. If schedules or island flights change, we tell you promptly.

Documents and handling notes

Shipments through the Mahé gateway need a commercial invoice, packing list and air waybill. Seychelles controls admission of food, plant and animal products and cosmetics, so confirm the documents are complete before dispatch.

As an island state, Seychelles levies import duty and VAT on goods cleared at SEZ. We can give you the document list and process notes for clearance. For cargo distributed to Praslin, state the final island at booking so the Twin Otter connection can be arranged.

The Seychelles tourism authority offers some duty relief on goods imported for hotels. If you supply a local hotel, the hotel's exemption documents can be used to claim the relief at SEZ clearance. We flag the documents you need at booking.

Inter-island transport in Seychelles is operated only by Air Seychelles Twin Otter. Cargo cleared at SEZ that is bound for Praslin or La Digue must connect to an island flight, and we arrange the Mahé to island sector at booking, so you do not need a local distribution agent.

The two to three months before the tourism season are the peak shipping window from China to Seychelles, and space tightens. Hotel supply exporters should fix an annual space allocation with us before the season rather than booking at the last minute.

For exporters who supply Seychelles hotels year round, we can set a fixed shipping schedule against your replenishment plan and combine the China-Colombo mainline with the Air Seychelles onward sector into one product. You deliver at a nominated point in China and we handle clearance, island distribution and last-mile delivery. Current rates, capacity and handling instructions are on our website, or a freight consultant can build a custom plan. Schedules change with the season; the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.