Emirates is increasing the frequency of its services to Madagascar to meet demand.
The airline will increase its current four-times-a-week service to six times a week from April 2025, with only Mondays not served. In the meantime, to meet seasonal demand, Emirates recently temporarily increased its services from four to five weekly flights, and the new frequency represents a significant boost to its operations and capacity on the route.
The move reinforces the airline’s commitment to support Madagascar’s tourism ambitions to accommodate more leisure visitors and promote the island destination to global audiences. The move comes from customer-led demand for the services, which according to the airline are running at capacity. In addition, the belly of the aircraft is accessible via Emirates SkyCargo, with the ability to lift 20 tonnes of cargo.
The new timetable is listed below, with the flight operating as a tag-on leg between Seychelles International Airport and Ivato International Airport, serving Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar:
| Flight | Departure | Arrival | Day |
| EK707 (DXB/SEZ) | 08:55 | 13:35 | Daily |
| EK707 (SEZ/TNR) | 15:05 | 16:50 | All days except Mondays |
| EK708 (TNR/SEZ) | 18:35 | 22:20 | All days except Mondays |
| EK708 (SEZ/DXB) | 23:50 | 04:20 (next day) | All days except Mondays |
| EK708 (SEZ/DXB) | 21:45 | 02:15 (next day) | On Mondays |
In Quotes
Emirates’ services to the island at the press conference, Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for West Asia and the Indian Ocean said:
“We are pleased to boost our services to Madagascar by offering two additional flights per week in line with soaring demand for travel since the start of operations. Our growing flight schedule to the island means better connectivity, more choice and convenient options for travellers. Enhancing services will also strengthen the economic ties between Madagascar and the UAE, by supporting more inbound and outbound leisure and business travel to the island and bolstering trade lanes with additional cargo capacity. As tourism to Madagascar flourishes, local businesses thrive, generating a ripple effect that benefits the local communities. We would like to thank the authorities, the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Tourism for their support, and we look forward to strengthening our connections and supporting the nation’s development as it looks towards the future.”
“We have been diligently supporting the country’s tourism agenda by promoting the destination across our network, which is evident from the healthy bookings, and we will make every effort to continue raising awareness around the vibrant island’s unique charm and stunning natural landscapes to support sustainable traffic growth,”
His Excellency Dr Manambahoaka Valéry F. Ramonjavelo, Minister of Transport and Meteorology said:
“Since February 2024, we have accelerated the strengthening of trust between the United Arab Emirates and Madagascar, and the air connectivity provided by Emirates contributes to these ties being built between our two countries. The increase to six weekly frequencies by Emirates is a strong signal of confidence in the country, particularly in the tourism destination of the Great Island. We are on the right path to achieving more than one flight per day.”
Madagascar’s Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Viviane Dewa added:
“The arrival of Emirates, with direct flights to Madagascar, has been a breath of fresh air for our tourism sector. This flight has connected our island to over 140 destinations worldwide, thereby opening up new opportunities for the promotion of Madagascar as a destination. Our ambitious target of reaching one million tourists by 2028 will be significantly supported by the continued improvement of air connectivity, particularly through major hubs such as Dubai, and by collaborating with renowned airlines such as Emirates. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts of Madagascar, we look forward to further strengthening the partnership with Emirates to provide smoother air transport and welcoming more international tourists, thereby contributing to the growth of our tourism sector.”
Supporting Tourism and Traffic
With Tourism a key industry, Emirates is responding to its network demands and sending extra capacity to Madagasgar—even if it has to share that capacity with another tourism destination, Seychelles.
With demand coming from UAE, Sri Lanka, France, the UK, mainland China, Japan, Spain, and Italy to Madagascar, it is tempting for the airline to take advantage and manageably add capacity.
Even outbound traffic from Madagascar is strong with travellers travelling to Dubai, Seychelles, France, India, Sri Lanka, Italy and Japan.
And it’s another point in the “If you route it and promote it, passengers will come”.
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