Etihad Airways stake in Air Seychelles gives 'realistic way forward' to the island carrier's future

Etihad Airways's 40% stake in Air Seychelles gives a much-needed second lease of life to Air Seychelles, who says the stake offers a "realistic way forward" for growth, critical as the carrier has scaled back almost its entire network. For Etihad, the opportunity to be a partner in building traffic to the Seychelles, a destination Etihad sees gaining prominence, especially from the alluring Chinese market. Etihad singled out the Seychelles' geographic positioning as a strength in linking the emerging Africa-China market, but it is difficult to see short-term development in that market.