FastJet Suspends Three Routes Due to Low Passenger Demand

Fastjet has suspended flights of three routes as part of the company’s ongoing turnaround program in pursuit of long term sustainable financial structures for its businesses in Tanzania and Zimbabwe effective Monday, 5 December 2016.

The carrier has suspended flights between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Entebbe in Uganda, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in Kenya, as well as between Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Johannesburg in South Africa.

“The specific routes to be suspended were chosen due to low passenger demand, as well as inefficient utilisation of fastjet’s existing and planned aircraft fleet; as such they were not commercially viable in the present economic environments of both Tanzania and Zimbabwe, “read a statement.

“fastjet notes that suspending these routes opens the opportunity to add extra capacity onto existing routes and will advise of these plans as soon as they are confirmed.”

The turnaround program – under the guidance of recently appointed fastjet plc CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout – included a review of the fastjet fleet, both the size and type of aircraft operated, the frequency of flights on specific routes, as well as the actual routes flown.”

“Under the direction of fastjet management, the turnaround program for fastjet is progressing well, with a reduction of operating costs and overheads, fleet realignment, and flight frequency on identified routes, all yielding financial benefits.”

fastjet’s route network now comprises of domestic Tanzanian routes between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Zanzibar, international routes from Tanzania to Johannesburg, Lusaka and Harare, and two routes from its Zimbabwe base in Harare to Victoria Falls and Johannesburg.