PLANS are afoot for
another regional airline to
take to the African skies.
While those behind the
operation are keeping a low
profile and not divulging any
details, TNW has discovered
that a regional carrier similar
to fastjet, called FlyAfrica, is
being developed.
Based on information
from social networking site
LinkedIn, the ceo of the
airline is Godfrey Banga,
who, it appears, has no prior
experience in the aviation field.
He states on his profile that
he is “in the process of setting
up a passenger and cargo
airline to operate domestic,
regional and international
routes”. According to LinkedIn,
Adrian Hamilton-Manns is
project leader of the new
airline. Adrian has a wealth
of experience in aviation,
including previously holding the
position of SAA’s executive vp
of commercial.
The website, www.flyafrica.
com, features the slogan:
“Africa’s Low Fare Airline”
and says “The Revolution is
Coming!” with a countdown
clock: 2 months, 22 days, 18
hours…
But apart from various
social media accounts and
the website there is little
more than speculation as to
when, and if, the airline will
launch. The airline refused to
comment when contacted
by TNW.
On an aviation forum, a
person claiming to represent
the airline stated towards
the end of last year that the
airline was keeping a low
profile except for its presence
on LinkedIn, from where it
attracted some of its staff. A
later post reads: “The reason
for silence is many new
airlines in Africa promise a
lot and then don’t show up or
make claims they can’t deliver
on… Until we have done
everything, received every
government clearance required
and our planes are sitting on
the flightline painted, we are
keeping quiet.”
A reliable source told TNW
that, although the airline
was backed by South African
investors, it would be based
in Zimbabwe and had ties to
Fresh Air – the start-up airline
linked to 1time just weeks
before 1time was grounded,
but never got off the ground.
FlyAfrica’s country manager
for Zimbabwe is Matipedza
Karase, who previously held
the position of coo at Fresh
Air and is related to the ceo of
Fresh Air, Chakanyuka Karase.
Both Aasa and Barsa have
heard about FlyAfrica, but the
airline has yet to approach
AMERICAN Airlines and
US Airways have begun
selected codeshares
on each other’s flights,
from January 23. The
arrangement allows travel
agents and customers to
purchase a single itinerary,
including flights that
connect from one carrier to
the other.
Sharon Schierhout, yield
manager of Club Travel,
says the main benefit of
the codeshare agreement
for South Africans is that
they now have a wider
choice when they are
connecting from oneworld
carriers such as British
Airways on to the AA/US
codeshared flights.
Travellers can expect even
more benefits from March,
when US Airways will exit
the Star Alliance in order
to join American Airlines in
the oneworld alliance.
