FastJet takes to the air, promising a modern pan-African network

Africa's newest airline, FastJet, launched services on 29-Nov-2012 with two daily flights on two domestic routes in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, using three leased A319s. The launch was delayed by a month and the low-cost carrier has started on different routes than announced in Oct-2012, when Dar es Salaam-Nairobi was favoured, and on the opposite side of the continent than originally envisaged in Jun-2012, when Accra in Ghana was seen as the optimum starting hub over Tanzania.

FastJet will gradually spread its wings west and south across sub-Sahara Africa, rebranding the pan-African Fly540 operations which it acquired from African conglomerate Lonrho in Jun-2012 and transitioning the operation from the full service to LCC model. The carrier is relying on an average fare of USD70 to USD80, historically low by intra-Africa standards, to stimulate demand and encourage Africans to swap road travel for air travel, as has been the experience in other emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America.