The President of the Republic was the guest of honour and unveiled the commemorative plaque at the official opening of the new Domestic Terminal at the Seychelles Airport yesterday evening.
The event held at the airport was attended by numerous senior government officials and other distinguished guests and symbolised the completion of a 4 year project designed to match the growing domestic flights market.
During his welcoming address, the Chief Executive Officer of Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Mr Garry Albert, retraced the progress of the project since inception, the planning and execution, new features of the terminal and the way forward for continuous improvement.
"Today is an important day for us at the SCAA and the Seychelles Airport because, we are confirming to Seychelles and to the world at large that we are entering a new era in our aviation facilities. Our Domestic Terminal is and will remain the gateway for the development of our islands that are playing an active role in the economic development of Seychelles," said Mr Albert.
On his part the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr Didier Dogley, stressed on the importance of air connectivity not only as a service for visitors but also for all Seychellois at large. “Our airports serve both our discerning visitors as well as our people. Similarly, our domestic terminal and air services connect us with our other islands. It provides mobility and facilitate exchanges between our communities. It is important to remain cognizant that air connectivity to the islands is also an essential service for the people of Seychelles, particularly meeting the demand for critical services relating to medical, education and facilitating trade and other forms of businesses. Connectivity by air to discover our islands, remains a unique selling point as a tourism destination. It provides our visitors with the opportunity to discover the vast array of our beautiful islands and rich culture, experience our pristine natural environment and learn about our rare fora and flora,” said Minister Dogley.
He commended SCCA for its commitment and efforts in the airport project and for being a leading example in not only improving the level of facilities as well as placing emphasis on service delivery at the airport especially through the Airport’s Customer Services campaign which further accentuates the theme ‘We are Tourism’. He urged everyone to commit to this campaign and to collectively join forces in support of the country’s tourism aspirations.
The ceremony also featured the viewing of new branding video, theCustomer Service Award, a cultural display and concluded with a guided tour of the new domestic terminal showcasing the various new facilities and services.