On July 2 at 1:55 a.m. Beijing time, Sichuan Airlines flight 3U3785 departed from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport carrying 120 passengers and landed at Seychelles International Airport at 5:38 a.m. local time, marking the official launch of the only direct flight route between China and Seychelles.
According to schedule, Sichuan Airlines will operate five round-trip flights between Chengdu and Seychelles in July. The flights are scheduled for every Wednesday (July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30), using Airbus A330 or A350 wide-body aircraft. Each one-way journey takes approximately nine hours.
Flight schedule:
*Outbound flight 3U3785: Departs Chengdu at 01:50 Beijing time and arrives in Seychelles at 06:40 local time.
*Return flight 3U3786: Departs Seychelles at 22:00 local time and arrives in Chengdu at 10:40 the next day Beijing time.
Previously, Chinese travelers to Seychelles typically had to transit through cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Addis Ababa, sometimes requiring two connections and taking over 40 hours in total.
The lengthy travel and cumbersome transfers often left travelers exhausted before even arriving.
Now, the introduction of direct flights significantly reduces both travel time and fatigue.
According to the Seychelles National Tourism Board:
*In 2024, Seychelles welcomed nearly 4,000 Chinese tourists—almost four times the 1,080 visitors recorded in 2023.
*In early June 2025, the number of Chinese visitors increased by 45% year-on-year, making China one of the fastest-growing source markets.
With the convenience of direct flights, even more Chinese travelers are expected to explore the beauty of Seychelles.
