Fastjet celebrates two millionth passenger

MASEMBE TAMBWE

FASTJET has flown two million passengers since starting its operation in Africa some four years ago. This achievement comes just 15 months after the airline hit one million passenger-mark in January last year.

According to the airline, the achievement signifies its embracement into the hearts and minds of first time and repeat travellers in Tanzania and further afield across East and Southern Africa.

“FastJet has flown just over 21,800 flights at our cheapest domestic and international fares, and has grown its fleet to five A319 aircraft,” says John Corse, FastJet Tanzania’s General Manager.

“We have also increased flights to more than 250 scheduled return flights a week across our network, making air travel affordable and accessible to more passengers and enabling them to fly more often for business and leisure.”

Since its launch in November 2012, FastJet has flown more than 21,800 flights between its domestic routes connecting Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Zanzibar in Tanzania.

FastJet, which Dar is its hub, flies international routes to Johannesburg in South Africa, Lusaka in Zambia, Harare and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Entebbe in Uganda and Nairobi in Kenya. Peace Mteketa Matovu, a Tanzanian, is one of FastJet’s first time flyers and the airline’s two-millionth passenger.

She was travelling on a return FastJet flight from Nairobi to Dar where she was surprised with a bouquet of flowers at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport. The airline’s busiest destination from Dar es Salaam was Mwanza with nearly 829,000 passengers flying between the two points since inauguration in November 2012.

While most popular international route was Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, which has carried close to 90,000 passengers since the route was launched in October 2013.

“FastJet has remained committed to stimulating business and tourism on the African continent, and these figures give an insight into the impact that low-cost air travel has already had – and the potential that it offers for future growth,” says Mr Corse.

The airline has offered employment to more than 230 people direct in Tanzania. Indirectly it has created employment for a further 500 plus in secondary services in all the countries it flies to.

In recognition of FastJet’s services of making air travel more affordable, safe and reliable across its pan-African network, the airline was recently named Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline at the 23rd Annual World Travel Awards held in Zanzibar, Tanzania this month.