FLYAFRICA.COM will launch
operations in four countries over
the coming months.
The airline announced plans to
establish a Namibian operation,
with fares starting from R799 to
Johannesburg from Windhoek. Fares
exclude airport taxes of around US$35
(R386) The airline does not apply a fuel
surcharge.
“This is part of our strategy to
establish flyafrica as a pan-African
airline. By December we’ll have
announced a third destination in
Southern Africa, followed shortly by a
fourth,” group ceo, Adrian HamiltonManns,
told TNW.
The airline has also applied for a
domestic licence to operate in South
Africa. The Department of Transport
said the application still needed to be
presented to the Air Services Licensing
Council for adjudication.
“This is with more of a long-term
view,” Adrian said. “We hope to launch
operations late next year.”
Namibia flyafrica is the second airline
launched by the flyafrica.com group,
following Zimbabwe, and is a joint
venture between Nomad Aviation, a
Namibian-based airline, and Flyafrica
Ltd, a Mauritius-based private equity
aviation investment group.
The airline will operate scheduled
regional flights from Namibia to
South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and
Zimbabwe. Windhoek to Johannesburg
is the first route to be announced,
with daily flights from Windhoek to
Johannesburg from February 2. Sales
via flyafrica.com opened on October 21.
“Windhoek to Cape Town will follow
shortly,” Adrian said.
Clifford Strydom, ceo of Nomad
Aviation, says: “Nomad has been
operating a successful airline in
Namibia since 1989 but we have
always wanted to offer more to the
travelling public. Our partnership
with flyafrica.com delivers what we
have always wanted: low fares and
exceptional service. Travellers to
Namibia have paid too much for
too long and the launch of Namibia
flyafrica will change that.”
Collin Thaver, Albatros Travel gm for
Southern Africa, says regional travel
among South Africans has increased
over the past few months. “Any new
player that can bring in meaningful
competitive rates that will help drop
travel costs is received with bated
breath. The rates being offered
by flyafrica when compared with
other established carriers are very
favourable and this will have a positive
effect, especially as locals start
planning their December holidays,”
he says.
David Wood, Air Holidays head of
marketing and product development,
says the fare of R1 600 return
is higher than the fares on Air
Namibia but he adds that the “no
fuel surcharge” is a big positive for
flyafrica.
“Where our issue lies, and we have
discussed it many times with them,
is that the fare of R799 is available
to the public, the travel agent and the
wholesaler, with no element of nett
fares. We, as a wholesaler, need to
make a small margin as well as
pay the travel agent their
commission; therefore we
would be selling the airfare
back to the man on the street
at around 20% higher than
they can get direct online. This
is the reason we have stayed
away for now. But should
flyafrica decide to amend its
model, we would certainly be
interested,” he says.
