LOW-COST carrier, fastjet Zimbabwe, commenced daily flights on the competitive Harare-Johannesburg route yesterday as part of its pan-African network expansion.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
The route is one of the busiest gateways into Zimbabwe and now will be served by five airlines — South African Airways, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways (through Comair), South African Express and fastjet Zimbabwe.
The low-cost carrier will use a 144-seater Airbus A319 plane.
Chief pilot, Joe Mparuri said the introduction of the flight to Johannesburg comes after fastjet had consolidated its grip on the domestic market and was expanding itself outside the local market. The airline began flights to Victoria Falls in October.
Yesterday’s flight had 55 passengers to Johannesburg and a lower number on its return. Director of flight operations Ed Lanca said fastjet was happy with the numbers on its maiden flight adding that it would introduce an evening service on the same route.
The airline is also set to launch the Victoria-Johannesburg flight once granted approval by Zimbabwean and South African authorities.
The low cost airline also seeks to expand its reach in Southern and East Africa markets, within the first quarter of 2016 once approval is granted.
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The airline said its introduction of the daily flight to Johannesburg has seen fares by other players dropping by as much as 40%.
“The fact is that competition is good for consumers. It brings choice and it brings airfares down,” Lanca said.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief operating officer, Givemore Chidzidzi said the introduction of fastjet’s flights on the Harare-Johannesburg route will help in the distribution of passengers from the regional hub, Johannesburg.
“All the passengers that flew into Johannesburg needed to be distributed in the region. It is that distribution that we [tourism authority] are excited about,” he said
Chidzidzi said Harare-Johannesburg was a competitive route adding that competition by airlines should help in the distribution of tourists.
Zimbabwe is on an ambitious drive to lure more airlines to fly into the country to improve the nation’s accessibility — one of the key pillars of destination marketing.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe general manager, David Chawota in 2014 said Zimbabwe wanted to increase airlines that fly into the country to 40 by 2018 from the then 14.
At the country’s aviation peak between 1999 and 2003, 34 airlines were flying into Zimbabwe.
The number dwindled as the economic crisis deepened.
