Low-cost carrier, fastjet Zimbabwe has flown more than 125 000 passengers since it began flights 15 months ago, with a number of them first time fliers, an executive has said.
Source: fastjet Zim flies over 125k passengers – NewsDay Zimbabwe February 14, 2017
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
The carrier began flights on October 28, 2015 on the Harare-Victoria Falls route. It later added Harare-Johannesburg and then Victoria Falls to Johannesburg. The route has since been suspended.
In a recent update fastjet Zimbabwe chief executive officer, Nico Bezuidenhout said the airline has changed the way that Zimbabweans travel with its business model.
“fastjet Zimbabwe has built a loyal fan base in Zimbabwe, because we made air travel more accessible than ever before with reliable, on time and affordable flights. Many of these 125 000 passengers were first-time flyers, who — because of prohibitively high fares — could previously not afford to travel by air,” Bezuidenhout said.
The airline said it has 94% on-time performance, establishing itself as a punctual, reliable, and affordable low-cost carrier.
The low-cost carrier has 32 flights per week to and from Harare, Johannesburg and Victoria Falls.
The company employs nearly 50 people directly involved with the airline, with many more working in secondary services supporting it.
fastjet Zimbabwe has been busy during the last six months implementing a strategic business plan that has yielded significant financial benefits.
This focus included a review of the frequency of flights on specific routes, the actual routes flown, and an evaluation of the fastjet Zimbabwe fleet, covering the size and type of aircraft operated. This saw the airline suspending the Victoria Falls to Johannesburg route, and is evaluating the possible transition from its Airbus A319 aircraft to a smaller, more fuel-efficient Embraer E190 aircraft.
Bezuidenhout said fastjet Zimbabwe would continue to work closely with the Zimbabwean government in its ongoing investment plans, collaborating with all parties concerned to build an airline that would create jobs, develop the aviation sector in the country, and have a significant positive impact on the growth of the Zimbabwe economy.
“We have a shared goal of increasing the number of business and tourism travellers into Zimbabwe. We understand it is a collective effort by all stakeholders concerned and we are committed to our responsibility of assisting to build the positive image of Zimbabwe,” he said.
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