FastJet Plc said it will commence twice-weekly flights from its operating base Dar es Salaam to Harare from August 5th, adding a third international destination after South Africa and Zambia.
The London-based company said in a statement that it will be providing the only direct scheduled service on the route.
Despite strong commercial and cultural ties between the two cities, there is currently no direct air link between them. The port at Dar es Salaam is a key logistics centre for landlocked Zimbabwean traders, with Victoria Falls and Zanzibar to the east consistently popular tourist destinations.
“The people of Tanzania and Zimbabwe are crying out for a direct air link between the two countries and today’s news moves us one step closer to becoming the continent’s first truly pan-African carrier,” fastjet’s interim CEO, Ed Winter said.
Launched in 2012, fastjet has seen consistently strong passenger numbers and load factors over the past year. To date, the low-cost carrier has carried over 635,000 passengers through its domestic network in Tanzania and internationally to Johannesburg and Lusaka.
“Fastjet’s entry into Zimbabwe demonstrates the Ministry of Transport’s ongoing commitment to the improvement of our country’s aviation industry and to the development of trade relationships with our neighbours,” Zimbabwe’s Transport Minister, Obert Mpofu said.
“We look forward to continuing our discussions with fastjet regarding the airline’s further expansion in Zimbabwe,” he said.
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