Air Seychelles After Downsizing: A Tiny Fleet Returning to Growth in 2026

The fleet

The current fleet consists of two Airbus A320neos (12 Business and 158 Economy seats) and five Viking DHC-6 Twin Otters with 19 seats for domestic links between the islands of the archipelago. In 2026 a third two-class A320 (16 Business and 120 Economy) was added, taken on operating lease from Etihad Airways, a sign of a gradual return to growth after years of contraction.

History and positioning

The post-pandemic downsizing has transformed Air Seychelles from an intercontinental carrier into an essentially regional and domestic airline, a profound change in positioning compared with the years when it flew direct to Paris and other European capitals with widebody aircraft. The recovery phase begun in 2026 marks an attempt to win back part of that network, though starting from a fleet base much smaller than the pre-pandemic one.

Routes and network

In 2026 the airline reopened its links to Abu Dhabi (up from four weekly frequencies to daily from June 15), Tel Aviv (from May 6, one weekly frequency) and launched Istanbul for the first time (from May 2, two weekly frequencies), in addition to keeping the seasonal link to Paris with three weekly frequencies until the end of August. The Twin Otters, meanwhile, ensure continuity of domestic links between the archipelago's main and secondary islands.

Air Seychelles is useful mainly for those who need to move between the islands of the archipelago on the Twin Otters or who fly one of the new international routes just reopened in 2026, while those who were looking for the old direct long-haul link to Europe on a widebody should know that that phase is over, at least until the new narrowbody deliveries planned for 2029. On a fleet that is still very small, it is wise to book in advance, especially in the high tourist season, since the available capacity remains limited compared with demand.