(Seychelles News Agency) - Air Seychelles will operate flights to Madagascar on December 16 and January 10 following demand from the local market, the airline said on Thursday.

The flight HM755 on December 16 will leave Seychelles at noon and HM754 will return from the airport of Antananarivo at 2.30 pm.

On January 10, the flight HM755 will leave Seychelles at 10 am and HM754 will return at 12.30 pm.

The airline said that "besides offering Malagasy nationals the opportunity to go home, the flights will also provide local suppliers the chance to transfer their cargo items such as textile, raw artisanal handicraft materials, printed matters and others, from Madagascar to the Seychelles."

For flight rates and bookings, travellers can visit airseychelles.com or send an email to: callcentre@airseychelles.com or call (248) 4391000.

As a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19, travellers bound to Madagascar must hold a negative RT-PCR test result conducted 72 hours prior to departure.

Air Seychelles said that as travellers must also abide by other entry regulations "please ensure to view madagascar-tourisme.com for all information before travelling. For those arriving into the Seychelles, in addition to the negative 72 hour PCR test certificate, travellers must also submit the mandatory Health Travel Authorization prior to entering the country at seychelles.govtas.com."

All flights will be subjected to the approval of the government including regulatory approval as well as that of the health authorities at each destination.