Air Serbia, the national airline of the Republic of Serbia, and Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, today signed a new codeshare agreement that makes it easier for travellers to fly to the tropical islands of Seychelles.

The codeshare deal will see Air Serbia place its JU flight code on four routes operated by Air Seychelles, from Paris and Abu Dhabi to Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles, as well as from Mahé to Johannesburg and Praslin, a popular island in the Seychelles archipelago known for its protected forest of coco-de-mer palm trees.

This will provide Air Serbia passengers with better connectivity to the Seychelles and South Africa. They will also be able to take advantage of flights with Air Seychelles to two popular destinations in the Indian Ocean: Mauritius and Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world.

The new codeshare agreement complements an existing codeshare between Air Serbia and Etihad Airways for flights to Seychelles over Abu Dhabi, expanding the flight options available to travellers who are planning to travel to the archipelago.

In return, Air Seychelles will expand it flight network by adding its HM flight code on four routes operated by Air Serbia, from Abu Dhabi and Paris to Belgrade, as well as on onward flights from Belgrade to Prague and Moscow, providing leisure and business travellers with smooth connections from Seychelles to Serbia, the Czech Republic and Russia.

Dane Kondić, Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia, said: “We are delighted to work with Air Seychelles, our 17th codeshare partner and a member airline of Etihad Airways Partners, to offer our passengers easy access to the paradise islands of Seychelles.

“Coupled with our Etihad Airways codeshare, this deal means our passengers from Serbia and across Southeast Europe can take advantage of 34 weekly one-stop connections from Belgrade to Seychelles, a great holiday destination for the summer season.

“On top of that, Seychelles has a small but not insignificant Serbian community that will find it easier to travel back home to see family and friends.”

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “We are happy to sign this codeshare agreement with Air Serbia, improving air connectivity between the Seychelles and South East Europe.

“As the national airline we continuously strive to improve air access to Seychelles and connect more travellers to our islands. Our codeshare strategy has played a fundamental role in our success so far.

“By working together with Air Serbia and Etihad Airways, we have opened up many new air links between Seychelles and South East Europe, and in doing so have expanded our reach around the world, demonstrating the power of Etihad Airways Partners.

“With its 115 picture-perfect islands and golden beaches, the Seychelles is simply an unforgettable summer holiday destination that is now within much easier reach for Air Serbia’s passengers.”

Passengers can now book tickets on the new codeshare flights by visiting airserbia.com or airseychelles.com, through travel agents and calling the Air Serbia or Air Seychelles contact centres.