Private Charter to the Seychelles

A private charter to the Seychelles often involves more than the international flight.

Seychelles International Airport on Mahé is the principal gateway, but passengers staying on Praslin, La Digue or another island may still need a domestic flight, ferry, boat or other confirmed transfer after arrival.

That onward connection can affect the preferred international arrival time, baggage plan and even the airport selected for the journey.

Through ASM Charter private charter services, the route can be reviewed around the complete itinerary—from the departure airport to Mahé and, where required, onward to the final island.

For long-haul island operations, ASM’s wider capability in fuel, handling, permits and airport coordination is particularly relevant. Fuel uplift, parking, handling acceptance and the availability of a suitable alternate need to work together before the operation is confirmed.

Information verified: 7 August 2026.
Landing clearance, airport availability, parking, handling, fuel, passenger documentation and inter-island transfers must be reconfirmed for every movement.

Which airport should a private charter use in the Seychelles?

Seychelles International Airport, SEZ / FSIA, is normally the first option for an international private charter.

Praslin Airport is an important domestic gateway for passengers continuing to Praslin and nearby islands, but its shorter runway and domestic operating role mean it should not be treated as an alternative international arrival airport for a long-range business jet.

Airport	IATA / ICAO	Indicative onward transfer	GA terminal / FBO	PPR, clearance & night-operation notes
Seychelles International Airport, Mahé	SEZ / FSIA	Approximately 15–25 minutes to Victoria; roughly 25–45 minutes to many Mahé resort areas depending on location and traffic	Business-aviation FBO services are available at the airport. ExecuJet publishes an FBO in the domestic-terminal area with 24-hour service available on request.	International non-scheduled operations require Seychelles aviation clearance and confirmed handling. Night operations are possible, subject to the approved schedule, parking and required services.
Praslin Island Airport	PRI / FSPP	Generally around 10–30 minutes by road to many Praslin resort areas, depending on the hotel	No equivalent long-range business-aviation FBO should be assumed. Air Seychelles provides domestic operations and ground handling at Praslin.	Primarily a domestic airport with a runway of about 1.3 km. International entry, long-range jet capability and unrestricted night operation should not be assumed. Aircraft and schedule suitability must be confirmed individually.

Seychelles aviation guidance requires operators to obtain landing clearance for international operations and to coordinate the approved schedule with the airport authority and ground handler. The published clearance documentation also requires passenger and crew information in advance and sets specific parking conditions for longer aircraft stays.

At SEZ, current FBO information confirms business-aviation passenger facilities, handling and fuel support, with 24-hour service available on request.

Seychelles International Airport: SEZ

Seychelles International Airport is located on Mahé and is the main international entry point for private charter passengers.

The airport supports international commercial and private aircraft, with services available for:

• Ground handling
• Passenger processing
• Aircraft parking
• Fuel
• Flight planning support
• Catering
• Crew requirements
• Ground transport
• Customs and immigration coordination

The airport should not, however, be described as providing guaranteed fast-track immigration or fixed passenger-processing times.

The actual arrival process depends on:

• Passenger documentation
• Number of simultaneous arrivals
• Customs and immigration activity
• Baggage
• Handling arrangements
• Aircraft parking position
• Current airport procedures

For a charter enquiry, the passenger’s final island should be identified before the international schedule is fixed.

Typical flight time to the Seychelles

For early itinerary planning:

Route	Indicative block time
Dubai to Mahé	Approximately 4½–5 hours
Frankfurt to Mahé	Approximately 9¾–10½ hours

Current Emirates schedules between Dubai and Mahé are approximately 4 hours 35–40 minutes, which provides a useful benchmark for a private charter planning range.

Current nonstop Frankfurt–Seychelles schedules are around 10 hours, making Frankfurt a useful European benchmark.

These are indicative planning ranges only.

Actual block time depends on:

• Departure airport
• Assigned routing
• Wind
• Airspace conditions
• Aircraft performance
• Passenger and baggage load
• Required reserves
• Fuel strategy
• Air traffic
• Arrival procedures

Whether the sector can be operated nonstop must be confirmed by the relevant aircraft operator.

Long-haul island planning: why fuel matters

A Seychelles charter is a good example of why route range alone does not determine whether a long-haul island operation is workable.

Fuel planning must consider:

• Fuel available at the departure airport
• Planned uplift at SEZ
• Aircraft payload
• Required reserves
• Weather
• Alternate airports
• Potential technical-stop requirements
• Supplier availability
• Airport operating arrangements

Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority documentation identifies Seychelles Petroleum Company as the airport fuel provider and includes specific procedures for arranging and paying for fuel.

ASM’s aviation fuel services can coordinate fuel requirements as part of the wider operation rather than treating the uplift as a separate transaction.

This becomes particularly useful on long-haul island sectors, where a change in fuel availability or payload can affect the route, technical-stop plan or alternate strategy.

Ground handling is part of the route plan

Handling also matters more at an island destination than passengers may initially expect.

An international charter into SEZ may require coordination of:

• Marshalling
• Passenger stairs
• Ground power
• Baggage
• Passenger and crew transport
• Catering
• Lavatory and water services
• Aircraft towing
• Parking
• Fuel
• Flight documents
• Crew accommodation

The SCAA’s published clearance conditions require operators to coordinate handling before arrival and include specific procedures for parking and towing aircraft during longer stays.

ASM’s wider flight-support network allows these requirements to be coordinated alongside fuel and permits, helping reduce the risk of an aircraft arriving with one part of the operation confirmed while another remains unresolved.

Travelling to Praslin

Passengers staying on Praslin normally have two main onward options from Mahé:

• A short domestic flight from SEZ to PRI
• An inter-island ferry from Mahé

Air Seychelles currently publishes a flight time of approximately 15 minutes between Mahé and Praslin. The airline also notes that the ferry journey is approximately one hour.

The best option depends on:

• International arrival time
• Domestic-flight availability
• Passenger numbers
• Baggage
• Resort location
• Weather
• Ferry schedule
• Passenger preference

A domestic flight may significantly reduce transfer time, but the baggage limits and aircraft size of the local flight can differ substantially from those of the international private aircraft.

That should be reviewed before departure.

Baggage for the Praslin connection

A long-range charter may comfortably accept a family’s full luggage load, but the onward domestic aircraft may have tighter weight and size limitations.

This is particularly relevant where passengers are carrying:

• Several large suitcases
• Diving equipment
• Golf equipment
• Children’s equipment
• Pushchairs
• Photography equipment
• Oversized cases

The baggage plan should therefore consider the entire journey, not only the international aircraft.

If the domestic-flight baggage allowance does not support the complete load, alternative arrangements may need to be considered before arrival.

Travelling to La Digue

La Digue does not have a conventional airport used for international private-charter arrivals.

Passengers normally reach the island by ferry or another confirmed marine transfer.

A common routing is:

Mahé → Praslin → La Digue

Passengers can fly from Mahé to Praslin in approximately 15 minutes and then continue by ferry. The Praslin–La Digue ferry crossing is typically around 15 minutes.

There are also ferry services linking Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.

The practical itinerary depends on:

• International arrival time
• Domestic-flight schedule
• Ferry schedule
• Weather and sea conditions
• Passenger baggage
• Resort transfer
• Check-in requirements

The charter arrival should leave enough time to clear formalities at SEZ and make the confirmed island connection without an unnecessarily tight transfer.

Should passengers fly or take the ferry to Praslin?

Neither option is automatically better.

Domestic flight

A domestic flight may suit passengers who:

• Prefer the shortest transfer time
• Have a confirmed connection after the international arrival
• Are staying closer to Praslin Airport
• Prefer to minimise marine travel

Ferry

A ferry may suit passengers who:

• Have more flexibility around the transfer time
• Prefer a marine transfer
• Are travelling between several inner islands
• Have an itinerary that aligns better with the ferry schedule

Weather should be considered for either option.

Flight schedules can change, while ferry operations are affected by sea conditions. Allow sufficient connection time rather than planning the international charter around the shortest theoretical transfer.

What if the final destination is another island?

Seychelles includes numerous inhabited, resort and private islands.

Some have local airstrips or may be served by dedicated resort transfers. These should not be represented as international business-jet airports without checking:

• Runway length
• Aircraft type permitted
• Operating hours
• Local permissions
• Fuel
• Fire category
• Ground handling
• Passenger processing
• Weather limitations
• Onward marine transfer

Where the final destination is not Mahé, Praslin or La Digue, provide the exact island and resort when requesting the charter.

ASM Charter can then review the most practical international arrival and onward connection.

Arrival formalities in the Seychelles

Passengers travelling to the Seychelles must complete the country’s electronic Travel Authorisation process.

The Government of Seychelles states that submission through the Seychelles Electronic Border System or official e-Border application is mandatory for travellers requiring a Travel Authorisation.

Passengers should complete the required process before travel rather than relying on arrival formalities. The government warns that passengers arriving without an approved authorisation may need to complete the process on arrival and can be subject to an additional fee.

The application and border process may include:

• Passport information
• Travel details
• Accommodation information
• Immigration declarations
• Customs declarations
• Health information

Passengers remain responsible for ensuring they hold the correct documents for the journey.

ASM Charter can coordinate passenger information required for the flight, but travel authorisation and admission remain subject to Seychelles authorities.

Yellow fever requirements

A yellow fever vaccination certificate can be required depending on the passenger’s previous travel.

The official Seychelles border system states that passengers aged 1–59 arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country or region may need to provide a valid vaccination certificate.

Passengers transiting an airport in an endemic area for less than 12 hours are currently exempt from that certificate requirement.

Because requirements can change, they should be rechecked against the passenger’s actual route before departure.

Customs, plants, food and animals

Seychelles applies controls to certain goods entering the country.

The SCAA’s published international-arrival guidance identifies restrictions and permit requirements around plants, plant products, animals and animal products.

Passengers should therefore disclose in advance if they intend to travel with:

• Pets
• Plants or flowers
• Fresh food products
• Animal products
• Specialist sporting equipment
• Restricted or controlled goods

Pets in particular may require veterinary import documentation before travel.

These arrangements should be started well before the charter date.

Family travel to the Seychelles

Family charters may involve more than passenger count alone.

The enquiry should identify:

• Number and ages of children
• Infants
• Pushchairs
• Child baggage
• Car-seat requirements
• Food or infant requirements
• Diving or sports equipment
• Number and size of suitcases
• Final island
• Resort-transfer method

If the family is continuing to Praslin or La Digue, the onward aircraft or ferry requirement should be assessed at the same time as the international charter.

This avoids selecting an international aircraft based on baggage capacity while overlooking the limits of the second leg.

Connecting Seychelles with another Indian Ocean destination

Seychelles can also form part of a wider Indian Ocean itinerary.

Passengers may combine the journey with destinations such as the Maldives or Mauritius.

For another island journey where the onward connection is central to the itinerary, review private charter to the Maldives.

For a destination where long-haul range, fuel strategy and one principal international airport are more prominent, review private charter to Mauritius.

Each island destination requires a different operating plan. The aircraft that works for the international sector is only one part of that decision.

How ASM Charter coordinates a Seychelles journey

ASM Charter acts as the customer-facing point of contact for the charter request.

1. Identify the final island

The team reviews whether the passenger is staying on Mahé, Praslin, La Digue or another island.

That determines whether a second flight, ferry or other transfer needs to be incorporated into the plan.

2. Review the international itinerary

The departure airport, dates, preferred timings, passenger count and baggage are assessed.

3. Review aircraft options

Available aircraft are considered against:

• Route length
• Passenger count
• Baggage
• Required range
• Airport suitability
• Fuel requirements
• Crew availability
• Operator acceptance

The page remains aircraft-neutral. The specific aircraft and operator are identified in the charter proposal.

4. Coordinate airport and operational requirements

The operation may require:

• Seychelles landing clearance
• Overflight permissions
• Handling
• Parking
• Fuel
• Flight planning
• Passenger and crew information
• Catering
• Ground transport
• Technical-stop planning
• Alternate-airport planning

This is where ASM’s operational capability is particularly relevant for Seychelles.

Fuel, handling and permit requirements can be coordinated around one long-haul plan rather than arranged independently.

5. Coordinate the island transfer

Where required, the itinerary is reviewed against the domestic flight, ferry or resort transfer.

6. Present the charter proposal

ASM Charter presents the proposed aircraft, operator, itinerary, commercial terms and relevant operating conditions.

International charter and inter-island arrangements remain subject to their respective confirmations.

What ASM Charter needs to prepare a quote

To review a private charter to the Seychelles, provide:

1. Departure city or airport
2. Exact island and resort
3. Travel dates
4. Preferred departure and arrival times
5. One-way, return or multi-sector itinerary
6. Number of adults, children and infants
7. Number, size and approximate weight of bags
8. Diving, sports or specialist equipment
9. Preferred or confirmed inter-island transfer
10. Any flexibility around the schedule
11. Catering or passenger requirements

The exact resort is important.

A quote to “Seychelles” or even “Mahé” does not provide enough information to determine whether passengers need an onward flight or ferry.

When should you request the charter?

Submit the enquiry once the resort and provisional travel dates are known.

Early planning is particularly useful for:

• Long-haul aircraft availability
• Landing clearance
• Parking
• Fuel
• Inter-island flights
• Ferry connections
• Larger baggage loads
• Family groups
• Multiple islands
• Peak holiday periods
• Special equipment
• Pets

There is no single fixed booking deadline that applies to every Seychelles charter.

Short-notice requests can still be reviewed, but the combination of aircraft, landing approval, parking, fuel and the preferred island transfer may provide fewer options.

Frequently asked questions

Which airport handles international private charters to the Seychelles?

Seychelles International Airport on Mahé, SEZ / FSIA, is the principal international gateway and normally the first airport considered for a private charter.

Does Seychelles International Airport have an FBO?

Yes. Business-aviation FBO services are available at SEZ. ExecuJet currently publishes a facility at the airport with service available 24 hours upon request.

Is fuel available at Seychelles International Airport?

Yes. Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority documentation identifies local airport fuel arrangements, but the required grade, quantity, timing and payment arrangement should still be confirmed for each operation.

ASM can coordinate the requirement through its aviation fuel services.

How long is a private charter from Dubai to the Seychelles?

Approximately 4½–5 hours is a practical planning range to Mahé. Current scheduled Dubai–Mahé flights are approximately 4 hours 35–40 minutes.

How long is a private charter from Frankfurt to the Seychelles?

Approximately 9¾–10½ hours is a practical initial planning range. Current nonstop commercial schedules are around 10 hours.

How do passengers reach Praslin?

Passengers can fly domestically from Mahé to Praslin in approximately 15 minutes or use the inter-island ferry, which takes about one hour.

How do passengers reach La Digue?

A common itinerary is to travel from Mahé to Praslin and continue by ferry to La Digue. The Praslin–La Digue ferry journey is approximately 15 minutes.

Can a long-range private jet land directly on Praslin?

Praslin Airport has a runway of approximately 1.3 km and is primarily used for domestic light-aircraft and turboprop operations. Suitability for any aircraft must be specifically confirmed. It should not be presented as a standard international long-range private-jet gateway.

Do passengers need a Seychelles Travel Authorisation?

Yes. The Seychelles Government states that its official Electronic Border System or e-Border application must be used to submit the required Travel Authorisation.

Related island charter planning

For a journey where resort transfers and arrival timing are equally important, review private charter to the Maldives.

For another long-haul Indian Ocean route, review private charter to Mauritius.

For the wider charter service, visit ASM Charter.

For long-haul fuel coordination, review ASM’s aviation fuel services.

Request a charter quote

Share your departure airport, travel dates, passenger count, baggage and exact Seychelles island or resort with ASM Charter.

The team will review the international flight, airport requirements, fuel and handling needs, and any onward island transfer before presenting the proposed charter arrangement.

Request a Charter Quote

Email: charter@asm.aero
Telephone: +971 4 409 7788

Aircraft availability, pricing, landing clearance, parking, handling, fuel, passenger documentation, domestic flights, ferry services, island transfers and operator acceptance remain subject to confirmation and operational feasibility.