Low-cost African airline fastjet’s (LON:FJET) Tanzanian operations carried one-and-a-half times as many passengers in May 2015 as they did the year before.
The airline carried 65,118 passengers on its Tanzanian routes, up 52% year-on-year. The load factor – a measurement of how full the aeroplanes were – was 70%, while punctuality remained excellent, with 94% of flights arriving on time, fastjet said.
In response to demand, fastjet has added additional flights on the Dar es Salaam to Mwanza route for the summer season, which runs from the end of July to the middle of September, while it has also tagged on an extra weekly flight linking Dar es Salaam with both Lusaka and Harare.
The additional flights mean the company will be getting more service out of its existing fleet, and it clearly has plans to expand further, as the painters are apparently brushing away, putting the company’s distinctive livery on a fourth aircraft that is being reconfigured prior to joining the fleet, while discussions are taking place over adding a fifth craft.
"Once again, fastjet Tanzania has achieved considerable passenger growth year-on-year. This is particularly pleasing as we approach the busy summer period during which we have added more capacity on certain routes to meet expected demand,” said Ed Winter, chief executive officer of fastjet.