When setting up a business hub to explore Southern Africa, South Africa is most of the time first choice. But when it comes to visiting Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Tanzania via plane, the South African Airport and Airline Mafia quickly lets you sit back on your seat as it is insanely expensive.
An alternative is to plan your centre of activity to be based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as FastJet is more than affordable. Fastjet has just been named the cheapest low-cost carrier (LCC) in Africa and the fifth cheapest LCC worldwide in a recent survey by flight comparison site, WhichAirline.com. The results of the survey were based on average ticket prices on LCC’s, calculated from more than three million prices of flights scheduled for take-off after June 2014.
The survey developed two rankings to compare the cheapest airlines. The first was based on average basic prices of tickets (without fees) and the second based on the prices of tickets including a checked-in luggage fee of a 20kg bag. Results show that the average cost of a fastjet flight, excluding luggage, is US$ 71 (about ZAR 828), while adding one 20kg piece of checked-in luggage will see the fare rise to US$ 81.
The cheapest airlines in the world are mainly gathered in Asia. The first place goes to Malaysian airline Firefly, whose total fare including a checked-in luggage fee was only US$ 41. “This independent survey is a resounding endorsement that FastJet is achieving its stated intent, namely to democratise air travel on the African continent by offering affordable, safe, and on-time flights,” said Richard Bodin, Chief Commercial Officer at FastJet.
Fastjet began operating in November 2012. The airline has carried over 635 000 passengers through its domestic network in Tanzania and internationally to Johannesburg and Lusaka, many of whom were first-time fliers. Flights cost as little as US$ 20 for routes within Tanzania, excluding taxes. The airline has just announced a third international route between Dar es Salaam and Harare. It will take off for the first time in August 2014, with flights costing as little as US$ 50, excluding taxes.
See you on board of FastJet, soon?