Fastjet Tanzania has finally been cleared by the Kenyan government to operate flights between Kenya and Tanzania under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between the two countries/FILE
Fastjet Tanzania has finally been cleared by the Kenyan government to operate flights between Kenya and Tanzania under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between the two countries, as previously approved by the Tanzanian government.
Return flights from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport, will initially operate daily, using Fastjet’s Airbus A319 aircraft with seating for up to 156 passengers.
“We are very grateful to the transportation ministries and the civil aviation authorities in both Kenya and Tanzania for working together to make it possible for Fastjet to realise our vision of growing the number of consumers who can access the convenience of affordable air travel,” Jimmy Kibati, Fastjet General Manager for East Africa said.
Just like its other routes, the airline will still operate as a budget airline as the fares will not include government taxes as well as baggage and refreshments costs.
Tickets for flights on the new routes are on sale immediately, with Nairobi/Kilimanjaro fares starting from Sh5,110(US$50) one-way, and Nairobi/Dar es Salaam fares starting from Sh8,177 (US$80) one- way.
Fares exclude government taxes which stand at Sh5,110 (US$50) departing Tanzania and Sh4,088 (US$40) departing Kenya.
“The basic fact is that competition is good for consumers. It brings choice and it brings air fares down. Affordable fares will make it easier for more entrepreneurs, tourists and other visitors to travel between Tanzania and Kenya,” Kibati added.
Fastjet’s daily flights will depart from Dar es Salaam at 09h50 and land in Nairobi at 11h10. The return flight from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam departs at 14h40, landing at 16h05.
Kilimanjaro flights will depart Nairobi at 11h40 and land in Kilimanjaro at 12h40. The return flight from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi will depart at 13h10, landing at 14h10.
“Also available for purchase on these route will be Fastjet’s luggage upgrade option, ‘Freighty’, that allows passengers to transport up to 80kg of checked-in bags for US$80. The freight luggage option in particular is expected to be popular with traders flying with Fastjet to purchase wholesale produce internationally to transport back to their home markets to sell,” he said.
Fastjet already operates internationally between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg in South Africa, Lusaka in Zambia, Entebbe in Uganda, Harare in Zimbabwe, Lilongwe in Malawi as well as Kilimanjaro to Entebbe route.
Fastjet Tanzania also flies domestically in Tanzania from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, Mbeya, Kilimanjaro as well as between Kilimanjaro and Mwanza. Flights from Dar es Salaam to and from Zanzibar also commence on the January 11, 2016.
The airline expects to launch flights between Zanzibar and Nairobi as well as Dar es Salaam and Mombasa later in 2016.
Fastjet Kenya, a separate company within the Fastjet group, is still yet to get an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to allow it to kick off operations within the country.
In October 2015, Fastjet Kenya announced that it had been granted an air service licence (ASL) by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), giving a clear way for the application of AOC which, when received, will allow the airline to operate domestic flights within Kenya.
