Fastjet (Dar es Salaam) interim chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ed Winter says the carrier's newest affiliate, Fastjet Zimbabwe (FN, Harare International), has secured its Air Services Permit (ASP) following approval from both the Zimbabwean Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) for its proposed business plan, structuring, and choice of aircraft.
"We recognized the real potential in Zimbabwe some time ago and have been working with the authorities to build fastjet Zimbabwe, and obtain permission to commence operations to various domestic and international destinations from the country," Winter said in a prepared statement. "The granting of the ASP demonstrates the ever-increasing reputation that fastjet has built across the region and marks a significant step forward for our business."
As with its other operations - Fastjet Zambia (Lusaka), Fastjet Kenya (Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta), and its stalled Nigerian affiliate, Fastjet Nigeria (Lagos) - Fastjet Zimbabwe is likely a joint venture between UK-based fastjet plc and a local individual/firm whose identity remains unknown at this time.
The budget carrier has also begun scouting for potential South African investors to help restart its Fastjet South Africa (Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) venture suggesting a 2013 arrangement with South African investment company Fastjet Holdings (formerly Blockbuster) and Federal Airlines (South Africa) (7V, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has officially fallen through.
Late last year, Winter said Fastjet intends to base three A319-100 jets in Lusaka, Zambia with two at Harare International, Zimbabwe and one in Kenya. By 2018, he sees a the airline operating a fleet of up to 34 jets, nine in South Africa, seven in Tanzania and Kenya, four in Uganda and Zimbabwe and three in Zambia.
Though their markets have yet to clash, Fastjet will, at some point, go head-to-head with FlyAfrica, a Mauritius-based holding company whose known LCC investments currently include Zimbabwe flyafrica (Harare International), Namibia flyafrica (Windhoek International), Gabon flyafrica (Libreville Leon M'Ba), Mozambique flyafrica (Maputo), and South Africa flyafrica (Johannesburg O.R. Tambo).
