Air Seychelles to sell, lease-back Twin Otters

Air Seychelles (HM, Mahé) plans to sell and lease back three of its five DHC-6-400s to help raise additional capital during its ongoing bankruptcy restructuring

S7-PRN (msn 900), S7-DNS (msn 927), and S7-FAR (msn 945) are being marketed by BAC Leasing and are available immediately for sale and lease-back. Despite change in ownership, they will continue to be part of Air Seychelles’ fleet. Manufactured in 2014, 2015, and 2016 respectively, they are among the world’s youngest Twin Otters and are all configured to carry up to 19 passengers.

S7-DNS has been grounded at Mahé airport since September 9, 2021, but the other two units remain active on the carrier’s sole domestic route between Mahé and Praslin Island. Air Seychelles owns and operates a further two DHC-6-400s, which also operate on the route to Praslin.

Air Seychelles’ fleet also comprises two A320-200Ns which, contrary to the owned Twin Otters, are leased from Air Lease Corporation and CDB Aviation, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows.

The Seychellois government owns another domestic carrier, Islands Development (IDC, Mahé), which maintains scheduled operations to the archipelago’s more remote islands of Desroches, Farquhar, Assumption Island, Coetivy, Marie-Louise, Platte, Alphonse Island, and Remire Island. Air Seychelles’ Chief Commercial Officer Charles Johnson told ch-aviation recently that the government had been encouraged to reconsider its policy of having two independent carriers and “see where synergies can be made”.