Fastjet increases flight frequency

Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
BUDGET airline, Fastjet, says it has increased its flight frequency by adding Friday flights between Harare and Victoria Falls as it forges ahead to improve convenience to travellers.

The airline posted on its website that it was now offering flights to and from the resort town on Fridays.

“We’ve increased our flight frequency, adding new Friday afternoon flights between Harare and Victoria Falls. Now you can choose to depart Harare at 1615 every Friday, arriving in Victoria Falls at 1725 — ideal for a laid-back dinner to start your weekend in style. Alternatively, you can depart Victoria Falls at 1750, arriving in Harare at 1855,” read the announcement.

Over the years there have been no evening flights departing Harare to Victoria Falls.

Employers Association for Tour and Safari Operators president Mr Clement Mukwasi said the increase in flight frequency by Fastjet was a welcome development, which was likely to culminate in increased domestic tourism.

“The increase in flight frequency by Fastjet has come at the right time, at a period we see an increase in domestic tourism as families come to enjoy the Easter festive season. Access to Victoria Falls has of late been a problem and the roads have been not been the safest mode of transport to use of late owing to stray animals, potholes which have surfaced due to the excessive rains as well as reckless driving,” said Mr Mukwasi.

He said the increased flight frequency would play a big part improving domestic tourist arrivals to the resort town.

“If we have more flights it culminates into more domestic tourist arrivals. As you know domestic tourists contributes less than 15 percent of the tourist we handle in Victoria Falls a year. The fees which airlines are charging are now quite affordable and the convenience it brings as well as the safety that comes with travelling on air is second to none,” said Mr Mukwasi.

Fastjet air­liner op­er­ates 32 flights per week be­tween Harare, Jo­han­nes­burg and Vic­to­ria Falls as well as out­side Zim­babwe in Zam­bia and Tan­za­nia. The Vic­to­ria Falls-Jo­han­nes­burg route was stopped re­cently.

The airliner recently opened a new cus­tomer ser­vice cen­tre is sit­u­ated in Bel­gravia, Harare, a move which its chief executive officer, Mr Nico Bezuidenhout said the move con­firms their com­mit­ment to the lo­cal mar­ket where the air­line has
moved more than 125 000 pas­sen­gers since launch­ing its op­er­a­tions less than two years ago.

The of­fice is manned by con­sul­tants who deal with all ser­vice re­lated is­sues such as is­su­ing tick­ets, han­dling book­ings, chang­ing as well as on-de­mand ser­vice of­fer­ings like freight or pref­er­en­tial seat book­ings and has em­braced plas­tic money sys­tems.

Fast­jet was awarded the African Low Cost Air­line of the Year Award at the World Travel Awards in Novem­ber last year.

@DNsingo