Fast and furious…

SINCE the launch
of operations in
November 2012, only
15 months ago, fastjet has
consistently been in the
headlines, with ambitious
plans to grow its network
and establish the airline as
“Africa’s rst pan-continental
airline”.
The carrier, which launched
operations from Tanzania
to South Africa in October
last year, has set its
sights on growing the new
route. Johannesburg is a
key commercial route and
critical to fastjet growing
its footprint in Africa, says
Richard Bodin, fastjet’s chief
commercial ofcer.
A key strategy is to
engage more with business
travellers and the corporate
agents that service this
sector. “We have ensured
that we partner with, rather
than compete against, the
travel trade by offering the
availability of fastjet ights,”
he says.
The airline went live on the
GDS at the end of January
and recently announced the
launch of a dedicated travel
agent booking portal,
www.fastjet.com/za, through
which it will offer ‘travelagent-only’
exclusive fares.
“We have seen a steady
increase in the amount of
business trafc coming from
South Africa to Tanzania,
as big companies see the
value in using fastjet to
transport workers heading
to Tanzania’s mining sites,”
Richard says. “Many of our
corporate passengers catch
fastjet ights to Mwanza
and Mbeya, which are two of
the country’s busiest mining
hubs.”
Leisure passengers head
from Dar es Salaam to
Tanzania’s safari lodges
on the Cessna or Caravan
planes, or catch connecting
ights to Kilimanjaro or
Zanzibar, Richard says.
“We’re also seeing an
increasing number of people
spending a few days in Dar
es Salaam as part of an
overall Tanzanian holiday.”
He adds that Tanzanians
living and working in South
Africa going home to visit
their families have always
been the larger percentage
of its passengers on the
Johannesburg route. “They
are already familiar with
the fastjet brand, and the
reliability and affordability
that it offers, as we have
been operating our domestic
routes in the country since
November 2012,” he says.
The airline is also
committed to “democratising
air travel by making it
possible for more people to
y more often with affordable
fares between two of Africa’s
capital cities”, says Richard.
“Before fastjet started ying
between Johannesburg and
Dar es Salaam, passengers
were held hostage by a
monopoly carrier that could
charge what it wanted to,
without any pressure from
competing airlines.” He says
the airline is committed
to offering seats on every
ight between Johannesburg
and Dar es Salaam from as
little as R1 600, including
all airport and government
taxes. “Passengers who
book early online are going
to get the best deals –
regardless of what time of
year it is,” he says.