Fastjet, a low-cost airline, has added two additional domestic routes—Kariba and Hwange National Park—to its expanding domestic and regional flight network in an effort to increase air connection with major regional and international travel hubs.
While one 30-seater Embraer EMB120 aircraft made its maiden landing at Kariba airport this Tuesday morning amid pomp and fanfare as well as the traditional water cannon salute the other also landed in Hwange.
This brings to 5 the number of local Fastjet services which are Harare, Bulawayo, Vic. Falls, Kariba and Hwange.
“Fastjet is committed to connectivity”, said Fastjet Zimbabwe Chief Commercial Officer Vivian Ruwuya.
“We are offering something completely unique with these routes. Through our network of flights, Kariba and Hwange National Park are now connected to Johannesburg with scheduled flights through our tourism hub of Victoria Falls.”
Fastjet is proving to be a game-changer in the local aviation space, focusing on connecting domestic and regional tourist destinations with international travellers.
This is in line with the return to travel after a two-year pause caused by the epidemic, which is anticipated to support the airline expansion strategy, which is built upon identifying key tourist destinations and providing convenient air connectivity.
Zimbabwean authorities have been upgrading infrastructure at various airports across the country in an attempt to lure more airlines.
Fastjet’s inroads in increasing air connectivity hence compliment these efforts.
“As ZTA we are happy because we know that this development is going to boost domestic tourism,” said Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer, Winnie Muchanyuka.
Last year Fastjet introduced flights which connect Victoria Falls as a regional hub to Maun in Botswana and Kruger in South Africa.
“If you look at Kruger and Maun they are purely tourist and they have attracted a lot of international tourists via Vic falls. So offering them the ability to see the Victoria Falls and be able to go into the Okavango Delta of Botswana and beyond into Kruger, the connectivity has been very good,” said Ruwuya.
Fastjet now connects with five major destinations in Zimbabwe by flying between Harare & Victoria Falls, Harare & Bulawayo, Harare & Kariba, Victoria Falls & Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls & Kariba.
In addition, the airline offers international flights from Harare, Bulawayo & Victoria Falls to Johannesburg in South Africa, and from Victoria Falls to Mbombela (Kruger) Nelspruit Mpumalanga in South Africa and Maun in Botswana
