The Seychelles are an archipelago of more than a hundred islands with one main gateway, so the journey is almost always two-stage: a flight to Mahé and a transfer to the specific island. Below we cover the airport, transfer options, seasons and practical planning.
The airport
Seychelles International (SEZ/FSIA) on Mahé is the sole gateway for international flights. It accepts heavy and long-range aircraft, which matters since most routes here are intercontinental.
The ground transfer to hotels on Mahé takes from 15 minutes to an hour depending on location. Praslin and La Digue require an additional link.
Island transfers
Three options. Domestic flights connect Mahé with Praslin (PRI/FSPP) in about 15 minutes — the fastest route. A helicopter transfer delivers directly to the hotel or villa on most islands and is the most flexible.
A fast boat to Praslin and La Digue takes around an hour and depends less on daylight than a helicopter. The choice is driven by the resort's location, baggage volume and the aircraft's arrival time.
A practical detail: helicopter operations are limited to daylight, so a late arrival of the main aircraft may require an overnight on Mahé. This is built into the schedule in advance, as in the Maldives.
Seasons
The climate is tropical and even year-round, but two wind seasons stand out: the southeast monsoon roughly May to September brings cooler, windier weather, the northwest from November to March warmer and more humid.
The transitional months, April and October, are considered the calmest at sea. Demand peaks fall on European winter holidays and summer breaks, when aircraft, parking and transfers are booked ahead.
Routes and flight times
The main flow comes from the Middle East and Europe: Dubai about 4 hours 30 minutes, Doha around 5 hours, Nairobi about 3 hours. From Europe: Paris around 10 hours, Moscow about 9 hours.
Leg distance sets the aircraft class: heavy types suffice from the Gulf, while Europe requires long-range and ultra-long-range aircraft. The runway on Mahé imposes effectively no type restrictions.
Practical planning
The order: first source an aircraft able to reach Mahé non-stop from the departure point, then arrange the island transfer accounting for the helicopter daylight limit, then parking for the duration of the stay.
Permits are arranged through a ground agent in advance under the rules of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority. On a longer visit the aircraft is often repositioned and returned for the departure date — the calculation is made against specific dates, as on other island destinations.
JetHunter provides access to more than 5,000 aircraft and a catalogue of 246 models with range maps. For Seychelles routes, sourcing runs alongside arranging the island transfer and the parking decision.
«The Seychelles work like the Maldives: arriving on the main island is only half the journey. The difference is that helicopters, domestic flights and boats all operate here, which gives more flexibility.»
— Alexey Mordvintsev, CEO of JetHunter
Author: Alexey Mordvintsev, CEO of JetHunter, President of the Association of Professionals of Executive Aviation Industry (APIDA). Over 14 years in the industry.
