The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, led a high-level technical visit at the Seychelles International Airport this morning. He was accompanied by Vice-President Ahmed Afif, the Minister for Transport, Mr Antony Derjacques and other key stakeholders involved in the airport redevelopment project.
The visit formed part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to modernise and optimise the country’s main international gateway. The primary objective was to conduct a detailed assessment of the current infrastructure with a focus on maximising space utilisation, ensuring practical and cost-effective design, and enhancing operational efficiency and passenger experience. The visit offered an opportunity for all participating technicians to exchange ideas and contribute feedback on proposed improvements to both the infrastructure and services at Seychelles International Airport.
The delegation visited various key locations including the arrival lounge, luggage claim loading and carousel zone, customs area, duty-free shops, airline offices, check-in counters, departure zone, security check area, immigration and car hire zone, among others. The walkthrough allowed the President and his delegation to better appreciate current spatial constraints and to discuss potential improvement strategies in alignment with the future expansion and redevelopment vision.
During the visit, President Ramkalawan emphasised the importance of adopting a modern, functional and sustainable approach to the airport's redesign. He also reiterated the Government’s commitment to delivering a facility that meets international standards while being tailored to the unique needs of Seychelles’ financial capacity as a small island developing state.
Joining the President and Vice-President were senior officials from the Seychelles Airports Authority, the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), the Ministry of Transport, representatives from key departments, the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency, members of the SAA and SCAA boards, as well as a team of technical experts from the Ministry of Finance and engineers involved in the airport redevelopment planning process.
The redevelopment of the Seychelles International Airport is a key infrastructural priority for the Government and is expected to significantly enhance the country’s tourism and travel industry, improve service delivery, and create a more welcoming first point of contact for visitors and returning Seychellois.
The visit marks a significant milestone as the project moves from the planning phase to implementation, with all stakeholders unified in their commitment to delivering a functional, efficient, and distinctly Seychellois airport for the future.