fastjet looks to launch Joburg route
2013-01-25 08:28
Johannesburg - 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.
Tourism Update reports that the airline is expected to announce regional routes to Johannesburg as well as Entebbe in Uganda and Moroni in the Comoros in the next few weeks.
The UK-based airline launched flights from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Kilimanjaro in November last year. Their plan is to expand to other sub-Saharan regions and become the first pan-African budget carrier.
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.
In the meantime fastjet have also entered into an option agreement to buy the entire issued share capital of 1time Airline, which is in provisional liquidation, from its parent company, 1time Holdings, for ZAR1.
Earlier this week it was reported that South Africa's largest airlines are formally objecting to the threat posed by fastjet's attempts to enter the local market by taking over the operations of 1time, which is in provisional liquidation.
