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fastjet, Africa’s low-cost airline, is to launch its second international route from Tanzania.
Flights from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka in Zambia will initially operate twice a week, with the first flight scheduled to take off on 1 February 2014.
Tickets go on sale next week and prices start from $75, excluding government charges and taxes.
Despite strong trading between Tanzania and Zambia, driven in part by landlocked Zambia’s reliance on Dar es Salaam’s port, there is currently no direct air link between Dar es Salaam and Lusaka.
“A steady increase in the onerous, 25 hour cross-border journeys undertaken by both Tanzanians and Zambians by road, demonstrates a real need for affordable air travel between the two countries, which fastjet intends to fulfil by launching its flights along this route,” the company said.
fastjet currently operates only one international route from Dar es Salaam, to Johannesburg in South Africa. It also operates a number of local routes.
Currently, bookings across the network look strong and as customers start to make plans for the Christmas period, early indicators point to a successful festive season, the company said.
Ed Winter, interim chairman and chief executive officer of fastjet, was understandably chuffed about the latest development of the fast-growing airline.
“We are incredibly pleased that, in accordance with our planned growth strategy, the roll-out of our international route network is now gaining real momentum and we are fulfilling our promise to the people of Africa to democratise air travel across the continent. We look forward to bringing the benefits of affordable, high-quality air travel to the people of Zambia,” Winter said.
The announcement of a second international route came on the day that the low-cost airline celebrated one year of successful flight operations from its main hub at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere airport in Tanzania.
“We are immensely proud of our achievements over the past year. It is not only the hard work and dedication of our people that has made our first year a success, but also the overwhelming support of our passengers and the Tanzanian government, whom we would like to wholeheartedly thank,” fastjet said
