Travel and Lifestyle connoisseur Lucas Raven was in Seychelles to explore the Creole Islands from a bird’s eye view, with the country’s trusted private aviation partner – Zil Air. On board was Zil Air’s founder Mr. Francis Savy, and we asked him 8 questions.
1) What is your favorite milestone moment of Zil Air?
A really great moment was when we, at Zil Air, received our first aircraft, a Eurocopter EC120B, which was delivered in July of 2007. This symbolized the beginning of a new journey for me as Executive Director as well as for the team that had joined us.
What’s even greater and holds more value to me personally however, is the consistent effort by the Zil Air team to do their jobs well and constantly seek to improve our processes. It’s the everyday effort of our people that has propelled the company forward to now having a fleet of 6 aircrafts. They have been instrumental in ensuring the loyalty of our partners and key contributors to the great feedback we always receive from our guests.
2) Describe your brand in 3 words
Zil Air’s brand vision can simply be described as an experience that’s ”More than just a flight”.
3) What made you decide to establish Zil Air?
Back then the need to establish reliable & effective services to our islands in the light of allowing them in turn to develop and flourish. We like to see ourselves as an extension of our partners’ offerings and successes. We take pride in being Seychelles’ first.
4) What was the best feedback you’ve ever received from a customer?
Flying in a helicopter is in itself a wonderful experience that not many have had the privilege of experiencing and there is nothing more rewarding to see guests, especially first timers return with the biggest grin ever.
This, along with our ability to help out in times when others are in difficulty, be it lost at sea, stranded in mountain ranges or simply a medevac flight that has helped save lives, never fails to provide a rewarding feeling and great sense of achievement for us all at Zil Air.
5) What’s your favorite part of Seychelles and why?
Seychelles is renowned for its spectacular beauty and nature. A lot of hard work has gone into this great balancing act of environmental conversation while allowing for economic growth. Through our scenic and excursion packages we have brought together unique experiences that celebrates Seychelles in all its splendor, whether it’s a day trip to Aride’s bird sanctuary or short 15 mins scenic tour.
We pride ourselves in creating breathtaking experiences that are memorable in its true sense, and that is what never fails to amaze.
6) What makes the Zil Air experience so special?
We pride ourselves of offering ‘more than just a flight’ (that’s our tag line) and this perfectly answers your question. We are not simply a helicopter company and we are not just about putting bums on seats. We are a solution provider and this is crucial in the context of Seychelles.
Scattered islands across an ocean adds to the complexity of getting from A to B. With a little magic here & there, in collaboration with our chosen partners we turn travels into true experiences.
Our team is very focused on meeting our guests’ requirements, whether it be flying over a stretch of beach with ‘Will you marry me’ written in the sand or catering to a special sunset scenic with champagne on-board for a birthday celebration. We are about making meaningful moments spectacular and our team is always out to please. We have a ’yes can do attitude’, however always operating within strict safety considerations.
7) What can we expect in the next years to come? Any additional services, routes or exciting plans ahead?
Our business is a growing one. We anticipate the arrival of Tecnam’s P2012 11seater fix wing aircraft in July 2019. This aircraft will assist us in meeting the tourism sector’s growing demand of travel solutions as well as for us to offer reliable and affordable air access.
8) What’s the best CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative Zil Air has been a part of in the local communities, and why?
Zil Air is a contributor to quite a few causes, though we do not necessarily always highlight the contributions we make. We have so far in 2018, supported many causes, generally with a focus on health, education, sports, arts and culture but we remain open to looking at supporting new initiatives that help to make others better off.
(A bird’s eye view of La Digue, taken while onboard Zil Air)
Editor’s Note:
Zil Air is the premium provider of aerial limo services in The Seychelles. They operate four state of the art Airbuses EC 120B and one Airbus EC 145 Twin Engine Helicopter, alongside a twin-engine fixed wing Vulcan Air P68C.
With a modern commercial fleet, Zil Air offers visitors the ultimate in comfort and safety when travelling to over 30 helipads and 7 landing strips. Such great accessibility across the archipelago allows our guests to travel at their convenience be it for transfers to and from their luxury island resorts, scenic flights and excursions just to name a few.
Zil Air commenced Commercial Helicopter Operations on April 1 2009 and has since grown its fleet to 5 Helicopters and 1 plane, operating 7 days a week supported by a young and dedicated team of 75 personnel.
