Qatar Airways will deploy larger aircraft on its Doha-Seychelles route to increase capacity after the island national said it would reopen to all tourists from later this month.
The Gulf carrier, which offers flights to Doha from a range of UK airports, will now operate Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on its three-times-weekly Seychelles services.
Last week, the Seychelles said it would fully reopen to international tourists from 25 March with no Covid vaccination or quarantine requirements; travellers will only require evidence of a negative PCR test for Covid-19 taken up to 72 hours prior to departure.
“We resumed our flights to the Seychelles in December 2020," said Qatar chief commercial officer Thierry Antinori.
"Now the islands are opening up further for visitors, we are delighted to offer more seat availability and an enhanced and sustainable experience for our passengers using our Boeing 787 Dreamliners."
Some public health measures will remain in place in the Seychelles, including mask wearing, social distancing and thorough hand hygiene, and Antinori said Qatar would continue to enforce its own "very high standards" of Covid hygiene.
Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, added: “We are happy that Seychelles is back online with clear entry criteria and simple travel measures.
"We depend a lot on our airline partners to complement our efforts in restarting this industry, one which is very important for Seychelles given its contribution to the economy.
"The availability of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner by Qatar Airways on the Seychelles route will add to the capacity but more importantly the comfort of the guests’ journey to Seychelles.
"At a time like this, every little bit of enhancement in the guest experience counts and I thank Qatar Airways for this.”
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