Emirates launched thrice-weekly non-stop services to the Seychelles, when its first outbound flight EK 705 departed from Dubai International Airport at 2.10am on 2 January.

The Emirates’ Airbus A330-200 offering 54 seats in Business class and 183 in Economy, along with up to 15 tonnes of cargo, landed on Mahe Island in the Seychelles at 6.45am.

The Seychelles – the first new destination to join the Emirates network in 2005 – is the airline’s 78th route. It also signals Emirates’ arrival in the fifth of the Indian Ocean islands it serves, the others being Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Java (Indonesia).

The new service provides travellers from Europe, Middle East and the Indian sub-continent with a convenient one-stop connection to the Seychelles, via the airline’s Dubai hub.

Emirates Group chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “This new Emirates route was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the Seychelles government. The island is an increasingly popular destination for leisure travellers, and the government’s decision to allow visa-free entry for all nationalities has made it even more accessible.”

Emirates currently operates three direct flights each week from its Dubai base to Malta: on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on A330-200.