Fastjet (Dar es Salaam) has suspended all flight operations until the end of January after the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) ordered it to cease ticket sales and submit a suitable turnaround plan within 28 days.
In a statement, the TCAA said the low-fare airline did not possess any aircraft of its own and therefore did not comply with the terms of its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). Fastjet Airlines Tanzania relinquished its two E190s to lessor GECAS last week as part of fastjet plc's exit from the low-fare airline. Since December 7, it has been wet-leasing a B737-500 from Africa Charter Airline (FSK, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) to run domestic Tanzanian flights exclusively.
"The Directors of fastjet Tanzania are in discussions with the authorities regarding the continued operations of the airline," fastjet plc said in a statement while highlighting that fastjet Airlines Tanzania is a separate entity, independently owned and operated, from fastjet plc Group.
As previously reported, Tanzania's former Home Affairs minister, Lawrence Masha, raised his stake in Fastjet Tanzania from the previous 4% to 68% after he bought 47% of the company's shares owned by locals and 17% owned by fastjet plc. The remaining 32% is held by South African Hein Kaiser.
According to The Citizen, the TCAA has also called on service providers to submit claims to Fastjet Tanzania. The regulator said it itself was owed TZS1.4 billion Tanzanian shillings (USD606,000) for the provision of services, including security.
