Building on the success of its domestic operation in Tanzania, fastjet has revealed that it plans to launch regional flights to three new destinations, including Johannesburg, in the near future.
In a statement, the airline, which launched flights from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Kilimanjaro in November last year, said it expected to announce regional routes to Johannesburg as well as Entebbe in Uganda and Moroni in the Comoros in the next few weeks.
The airline aims to expand to other sub-Saharan regions to become the first pan-African budget carrier operating according to the European-style LCC model.
Euromonitor International travel and tourism analyst, Paz Casal, says in a Travelmole feature report – ‘Comment: Sir Stelios could fly high in Africa’ – fastjet has the right approach to developing such a network. He notes that the carrier will benefit from operating flights on international standards of safety and reliability, as well as the ability to pay via mobile technology with M-Pesa and Airtel, challenging the sub-Saharan region’s cash-based economy and lack of Internet access.
Meanwhile, according to Andries Ntjane, deputy director: licensing and permits at the Department of Transport, fastjet has yet to submit an application for a foreign operator’s permit to fly into Johannesburg from Dar es Salaam.
For more on this story refer to TNW January 30.
