FASTJET’S REGIONAL PLANS BECOME KNOWN
The African Aviation Tribune has earlier this week published what appears to be FastJet’s planned schedule for the region, covering Entebbe, Nairobi and Zanzibar. The self pronounced low cost carrier, set to commence flight operations later this week, plans according to the AAT website to fly up to four times a day from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, once a day to Entebbe and 6 times a week to Zanzibar.
Earlier suggestions, that the airline would try to muscle in to the market for bus passengers instead of vying for the limited point to point traffic, have been put to rest however, as bus companies surveyed reported no significant reduction of prebookings for their overland busses from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, very likely as a result of the true cost of travel with FastJet now becoming apparent, that sales have started. On the Nairobi route, whenever flights to the Kenyan capital will commence – no date has been given yet – FastJet will face competition from Kenya Airways and their Tanzanian partner airline Precision Air, while Air Tanzania is reportedly moving heaven and earth to return to that route ahead of FastJet, with the Tanzanian government continuing to financially support and back ATCL.
The African Aviation Tribune has the following flight information about FastJet on their website:
fastjet (FN): Dar es Salaam – Entebbe, Uganda
– 1x daily
· FN141 DAR2025 – 2205EBB 319 D
· FN142 EBB2250 – 0330+1DAR 319 D
Dar es Salaam – Mombasa, Kenya
– Up to 2x daily
· FN131 DAR0830 – 0925MBA 319 | 123456
· FN133 DAR1010 – 1105MBA 319 D
· FN132 MBA1650 – 1745DAR 319 | 123456
· FN134 MBA1830 – 1925DAR 319 D
Dar es Salaam – Nairobi, Kenya
– Up to 4x daily
· FN101 DAR0630 – 0745NBO 319 | 123457
· FN105 DAR1015 – 1130NBO 319 D
· FN103 DAR1445 – 1600NBO 319 D
· FN107 DAR1645 – 1800NBO 319 D
· FN102 NBO0815 – 0930DAR 319 | 123457
· FN106 NBO1230 – 1345DAR 319 D
· FN104 NBO2010 – 2125DAR 319 D
· FN108 NBO2210 – 2325DAR 319 D
Dar es Salaam – Zanzibar
– 6x weekly
· FN120 DAR0830 – 0945ZNZ 319 | 123457
· FN121 ZNZ1030 – 1145DAR 319 | 123457
What will be intriguing is the head on competition between FastJet and Air Uganda, which is also flying daily to Dar es Salaam from Entebbe using a smaller CRJ 200, and plenty of questions are in the air in Kampala’s aviation circles over the fact that Fastjet’s Regional General Manager Kyle Haywood was until a few weeks ago CEO of U7 and has now turned against his erstwhile employers in an opposing role, fully privy to the market strategies of Uganda’s quasi national carrier. Fodder for thought and something which will be watched with eagle’s eyes no doubt.
