SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles Honours Staff

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles and partner airline of Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, presented 52 staff with long-service awards last night in recognition of their long service with the airline.

The special awards ceremony took place in the VIP Lounge at the airport where the staff, who have all been with the company for over 10 to 40 years, were thanked for their years of service.

The group came from various airline departments including Ground Operations, Quality and Safety, Cabin Operations, Flight Operations, Procurement and Supply Chain, Guest Services, Revenue Management, Sales and Distribution, Planning and Finance, Human Resources, Technical Operations and Cargo.

Jean Weeling-Lee, Chairman of the Air Seychelles Board, said: 'On behalf of the Air Seychelles board I would like to extend my congratulations to the many Seychellois who have continued to support the national airline throughout the years. At Air Seychelles we strive to place people at the centre of development and your commitment has not only contributed towards the future growth of the airline but also towards the tourism industry which is one of the key drivers of the Seychelles economy'.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles then added: 'The successful achievement and the future growth of our airline would have not been possible without the hard work and determination of our people. Our staff will remain an important pillar in the development of Air Seychelles and for that we want to express our gratitude for their devotion and loyalty. Currently the airline which is considered as one of the biggest employers in the Seychelles provides employment opportunities to 787 staff of which 97% are Seychellois. This remarkable achievement is significant for Air Seychelles as it demonstrates the can-do attitude and the skill-set of our staff and the importance we place on human resources to further improve the capabilities and the future of our airline'.

Riard Balette, Manager Technical Quality and Safety at Air Seychelles, was amongst one of the staff honoured for working at the airline for 30 years.

During celebration he said: 'I am indeed very proud to share 30 years of my experience and expertise with Air Seychelles. I have always been fascinated by the aviation industry and the opportunities provided throughout the years of working for Air Seychelles have equipped me with the right skills and professional aptitude to progress further in my career'.

Rose-Marie Monthy was recognized for 20 years of service and sharing her experience with the airline, noted: 'I have taken great pride in working for the national airline and I am thrilled to have been part and witnessed the various developments which have enabled Air Seychelles to become a successful and reputable airline within the Indian Ocean. Having started my career back in 1996, amidst the ups and downs that any job brings along, today I am very grateful for the career opportunity Air Seychelles has offered me. Completing 20 years with Air Seychelles does not mean that I have reached the end of my career, I continue to provide my support towards the continuous growth of the airline and to ensure that Air Seychelles remains the pride of Seychelles'.

Ropatra Gonthier, Performance Standard and Training Manager in Guest Services, was recognized for more than 10 years of service at Air Seychelles.

She shared her experience of the airline’s growth, saying: 'The Air Seychelles airport operations have witness considerable improvement throughout the past ten years especially in areas of guest services. Currently the airline operation involves more than 350 domestic and over 60 international services per week and with the upcoming flight to Dusseldorf and Durban the operation will be more complex. Being witness and taking active part in this fantastic achievement and continuous progress has been a great experience for me'.

Air Seychelles is a Skytrax rated 4 star airline and operates a fleet of Airbus A330's, A320's besides six DHC Twin Otters for domestic services. The airline flies from Mahe to Beijing, Paris, Duesseldorf from mid 2017, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius, Madagascar, Johannesburg and soon also to Durban.