The Seychelles is set to build a new international airport to meet the growing tourist demand.

The current airport is becoming too small to handle the increasing tourist numbers. Last year, visitor arrivals to the Seychelles reached 280 000. David Germain, director of the Africa and America Seychelles Tourism Board, says the new airport will provide a significant improvement in the handling of passengers.

Seychelles Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister, Joel Morgan, signed an agreement with Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Airports Company, to construct the new airport.

It will lie to the North of the existing airport and is expected to be completed by 2019 or 2020 at an estimated cost of $150m (R2bn).