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Budget airline continues to refine its service and aircraft mix

17th August 2018

By: Rebecca Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Pan-African low-cost carrier Fastjet (which operates under the brand fastjet) is continuing its programme of optimising its services, routes and fleet to restore its financial health, ensure it becomes a sustainable going concern, and, thereafter, achieve consistent profitability. “As a pan-African value airline, fastjet endeavours to make air travel affordable and accessible in every market we service,” affirmed company CEO Nico Bezuidenhout. “Beyond the redevelopment of our product, fastjet is also presently working on wider distribution and more payment methods, growing our network and making it easier for everyone to do business with us.”

“Later this year, fastjet plans to launch additional routes in both Tanzania and Mozambique, with South Africa, as a new market, firmly on our radar,” he highlighted. These will be in addition to the recently inaugurated flights between Harare and Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe (daily), between Maputo and Beira, in Mozambique (double daily), and an additional flight between Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, and Harare (on Wednesdays).

A passenger service refinement introduced early this month now includes in the price of a ticket the first piece of checked-in luggage and a snack or “refreshment” onboard the aircraft. Previously, these were charged separately. This decision was the result of market trend and customer expectation research, carried out over several months. “We have listened to our customers and redeveloped our product to better match what travellers on our network expect from a value airline,” he stated. The new fare replaced the previous BigSaver and Achiever fares and will be available on both the current routes and the planned new routes.

Currently, the airline operates the following international routes: Dar es Salaam–Lusaka (Zambia), Dar es Salaam–Harare, Johannesburg–Harare and Johannesburg–Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). Within Tanzania, it operates domestic routes between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Mwanza. Within Zimbabwe, it flies schedules between Harare and Bulawayo and Harare and Victoria Falls. In Mozambique, Solenta Aviation now operates fastjet-branded flights between Maputo and Beira, Nampula and Tete. The airline started operations in Tanzania in November 2012, in Zimbabwe in October 2015 and operations in Mozambique started in November last year.

Part of the carrier’s stabilisation plan has been the ending of services on lossmaking routes. Another has been the ‘rightsizing’ of its fleet. The previously operated fleet of three 145-seat Airbus A319 jet airliners has now been replaced by two 104-seat Embraer E190 regional jet airliners. Further, three 70-seat ATR 72 twin turboprop airliners are being introduced into service – the airline’s first propellor aircraft. These will allow it to service airports and markets inaccessible to jets. In Mozambique, Solenta operates the fastjet-branded services using three 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 jets.

As a result of these changes, in April, Fastjet reported that its load factors and revenue per seat had improved significantly. It flew 535 363 passengers last year, giving an average load factor of 71% – a great improvement over the 54% figure of 2016.

In 2016, Fastjet was awarded the World Travel Awards Leading African Low-Cost Carrier award, and won that accolade again in 2017. Also in 2017, it was awarded the Skytrax World Airline Awards Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa award. And Air Transport Magazine crowned Fastjet as the Best African Value Airline for 2018.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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