flyafrica.com and fastjet give Zimbabwe its first taste of LCCs with local start-up

The Zimbabwe market is poised for growth as new African low-cost carrier group flyafrica.com prepares to launch services by the end of Jul-2014 using a Zimbabwean air operator's certificate. flyafrica plans initially to link the Zimbabwean resort town of Victoria Falls with Johannesburg, a market burdened by high fares and controlled by two South African full-service airlines.

flyafrica will become only the seventh African LCC and is aiming to become the second pan-African LCC group after fastjet. flyafrica is aiming gradually to establish affiliates throughout Africa, following the model used by fastjet since late 2012.

fastjet is meanwhile planning to launch services on 5-Aug to the Zimbabwean capital Harare with a new route from its base in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. fastjet, which is now in the process of launching an affiliate in neighbouring Zambia, is also looking at potentially establishing a Zimbabwean affiliate with the goal of entering the lucrative Harare-Johannesburg route.