Yes. For the moment Skychef Shop is providing the F&B services. There are vending machines around the domestic and the international terminal area as well to meet customers’ needs. It is expected that The Coffee Club will open in the weeks ahead as they are also popular with locals. All in all, the outlets will open as we see an increase in the level of activity with international commercial flights.

We expect to continue to have private flights and cargo flights and there are indications of charter operations. Airlines are closely monitoring and submitting their schedule as per normal. Qatar Airways for example plans to resume flights as of 8th July 2020. Emirates Airlines also has plans for 16th July. Edelweiss has also conveyed its plans to resume flight by the end of September. Kenya Airways has a tentative date of 2nd October. These flights are subject to approval by the Health authority and the relevant travel restrictions. The situation remains dynamic.

All the financing to implement such measures will be coming from SCAA.

We will be placing a lot of emphasis on good hygiene and measures to promote social distancing. Masks will be encouraged in the event that customers cannot practice social distancing or fail to do so. Notices and customer service announcements will also be used to sensitise the traveling public.

Those measures will apply for all domestic flights departing from our Domestic Terminal.

SCAA has finalized its business continuity plan; essential services such as Air Navigational Services which provide air traffic control service has taken all of this into account. For other functions we have some staff at the airport working in their office and practicing social distancing. We already have some staff working from home including those who are more vulnerable. Some have decided to take their annual leave and as per recent announcements those with young children are at home. However, the airport remains operational.

At this time, international traffic at Seychelles International Airport is forecasted to decline by 46% by end of 2020 compared to 2019. The forecasted overall revenue loss for 2020 is estimated at R231m. However, the situation remains dynamic and we will keep monitoring and updating this information as we go along.

Thankfully SCAA has its own reserve which will be used to sustain the organization, we are an organization with its own financial autonomy, and we don’t rely on government’s budget, not even in this situation

Thankfully SCAA has its own reserve which will be used to sustain the organization, we are an organization with its own financial autonomy, and we don’t rely on government’s budget, not even in this situation

The situation at the airport is dynamic, but we will remain operational, but limited to the following:

• Domestic flights operation
• Aircraft in state of emergency
• Cargo flights
• Technical flights
• Humanitarian/medevac
• Repatriation flights

So yes, to cater for all the above we will still have staff working at the airport.

Health staff at the airport receive their instructions from the Department of Health. However, from our side we have ensured that our frontline staff and stakeholders have all the necessary gear as well as sanitizers to protect themselves. Our health and safety team has also met stakeholders and advise them on all precautions that they need to take to ensure that we are all on the same wavelength.

No, at this point there is no requirement to close down the airport as we still have domestic flights, or military patrol flights, and other flights such as those transiting and stopping for fuel and other technical requirements. SCAA, in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and consultation with Public Health Commissioner, has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) detailing the restrictions in force in respect of passengers and crews as advised by the Public Health Commissioners. Should the government and the office of the Public Health Commissioner eventually require that the airport be closed, then we will comply with the requirement.

We are confident that as the pandemic situation improves, so will the visitor arrival and operations. SCAA is in constant consultation with relevant partners and will gear up to be ready for this eventuality. Meantime, SCAA will use the opportunity of slowing down of operations to continue maintenance of the facilities and undertake such other repair/maintenance activities that the opportunity presents.