Air Seychelles Announces Major Summer Schedule Shake-up for 2026

Optimizes Fleet, Shifts Istanbul Service to A320NEO, and Restores Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv Flights for Summer Season

Victoria, Seychelles – Air Seychelles has unveiled a significant restructuring of its international flight schedule for the upcoming 2026 summer season. The update includes the resumption of key regional routes, extensions of European services, and a strategic revision of its Istanbul operations in response to shifting market dynamics.

Resumption of Core Network Destinations

Effective May 1, 2026, the airline will resume its service to Abu Dhabi. Initial operations will run four days per week, with departures from Seychelles on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The return service will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Travelers can look forward to increased frequency shortly after, as the route is set to return to daily flights starting June 15.

The airline is also re-establishing its presence in Israel. A once-weekly service to Tel Aviv will recommence on May 6, departing Seychelles on Wednesdays with return flights on Thursdays.

European and Mediterranean Updates

Air Seychelles confirmed that its service to Paris will continue through August 30, 2026. These flights will operate three times a week (Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday) using a leased Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. Conversely, the airline noted that its service to Rome will terminate at the end of April as originally planned.

Revised Istanbul Operations

The most notable changes involve the Istanbul route. Citing the earlier-than-expected resumption of services by Turkish Airlines and rising global fuel costs, Air Seychelles has revised its seasonal operation to a six-week window. The final return flight from Istanbul is now scheduled for June 13, 2026.

To maintain operational efficiency, the airline has implemented the following changes for the Istanbul route:

• Aircraft Swap: The service will now be operated by the airline’s own Airbus A320NEO, replacing the previously planned Airbus A330.
• Technical Stop: While the flight from Seychelles to Istanbul remains a non-stop, direct service, the return leg will now include a technical stop in Hurghada, Egypt.

Service Continuity

Despite the adjustments to the network, Air Seychelles assured passengers that services between Colombo, Mauritius, and Johannesburg remain as scheduled.

In its official statement, the airline emphasized that these “adjustments” reflect a commitment to cost management during a period of escalating operating expenses, while remaining dedicated to delivering its signature “Creole warmth and hospitality” to all guests.