FlyAfrica to add three new routes

Business Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN low-cost airline, FlyAfrica is planning to introduce three new routes as it seeks to increase market share locally and in the region.

The airline has indicated that beginning next month it will be introducing the Bulawayo-Harare and Harare-Lusaka routes while in September the Harare-Lubumbashi route would be launched.

“We’ve three new routes starting soon. Starting July 27, 2015, Fly Africa will introduce the Harare-Lusaka and Bulawayo-Harare routes while Harare-Lubumbashi routes will start on September 14, 2015,” the airline said yesterday.

It said fares for the Harare-Lusaka and Bulawayo-Harare routes would start from $69 and $39 respectively while the Harare-Lubumbashi route would start from $99.

The above fares, the airline said, exclude airport taxes, baggage and service fees.

Early this year, FlyAfrica announced its intention to introduce 11 regional routes this year as part of the airline’s expansion programme.

At present, the low-cost airline is plying routes such as Bulawayo-Johannesburg, Harare-Johannesburg, and Harare-Victoria Falls routes.

As part of its expansion in the region, the airline also plans to introduce the Harare-Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg-Windhoek, Victoria Falls-Kilimanjaro and Victoria Falls-Cape Town routes, among others.

Meanwhile, the airline has set a target of 65 percent average load factor for 2015 after registering a 55 percent load factor last year.

FlyAfrica, a partnership between the Karase family’s Fresh Air and Mike Bond of South Africa, began operations last year.

The airline introduced its first aircraft, a Z-FAA, last August servicing the Victoria Falls- Johannesburg route and flying three times a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The airline has since increased its frequency to four times a week to include Mondays.

The introduction of more airlines operating in the country was aimed at complementing the national airline, Air Zimbabwe, as the country’s tourism industry was making efforts to increase tourist arrivals.