Privately owned Zimbabwean start-up Flycristal Airways has secured its first aircraft as it prepares to launch domestic and regional charters.
Johannes Simau, Founder of Flycristal Airways, told Travel News they would charter a 19-seat Let 410 and an Embraer 120. The Let 410 will initially be deployed on key domestic routes linking Harare to Bulawayo, Mutare, Kariba, and Victoria Falls.
The Embraer 120 is expected to be deployed on regional routes connecting both Harare and Bulawayo to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Over the coming weeks, Simau said the airline would focus on obtaining the necessary regulatory requirements, including an application for a foreign operator’s permit in South Africa as well as finalising its application for an Air Operator’s Certificate in Zimbabwe. “Launch dates will be announced once these requirements are met,” said Simau.
The flights are aimed at filling a growing gap for entrepreneurs travelling across Southern Africa. “Entrepreneurs in Southern Africa spend several hours travelling by road between cities. These flights will fill that gap and significantly reduce travel time,” said Simau.
The idea to form the airline first came in 2013. Simau registered the first company towards the project in 2018/2019 in South Africa, followed by the UK in 2021 and Zimbabwe in 2022.
He said the airline still needed to focus on promoting itself, while competing with other players. “We need to promote and market the brand. We need to understand that other international players are trying to fill that gap but we as Africans must also be able to fill in those gaps,” said Simau.
The airline’s strategy is centred on a hybrid model focusing on passenger and cargo operations, targeting both domestic and regional business travellers. The airline plans to expand across more Southern African routes and additional international markets once regulatory approvals are secured and fleet capacity increases.
Last year, Simau told Travel News that the international routes they would target would be London, Mumbai, Dubai and Guangzhou.
