Fastjet (Dar es Salaam) has formally concluded Airbus operations following the withdrawal from service of its last remaining A319-100, 5H-FJD (msn 2268). Skyliner Aviation reports the twinjet was ferried to Kemble for part-out/scrap on December 8.
As it stands, the Tanzanian low-fare airline's fleet consists entirely of Embraer equipment with its new fleet of two E190s. Its Fastjet Zimbabwe (FN, Harare International) affiliate operates one ERJ-145. Both the Zimbabwean unit and Fastjet Mozambique (Maputo) wet-lease one additional ERJ-145 each from partner and equity investor Solenta Aviation (SET, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo).
The decision to shift to a smaller fleet is part of a stabilisation plan developed earlier this year in which the carrier's leadership concluded that capacity requirements required an alternative aircraft type, with materially lower operating costs, which would be more appropriate for Fastjet’s markets.
As such, Fastjet said in a 2H17 financial filing the use of 50-seater ERJ-145s and 104-seater EMB-190s is expected to yield an approximate 15% cost reduction for fuel, maintenance, handling and navigation charges.
