Fastjet to launch daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo

Fastjet will commence daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo from 20 July 2018.
Time Aerospace thumbnail

 

“Fastjet has been pursuing this route designation for several years.  We are delighted to see that positivechanges in the Zimbabwean environment made this development possible, enabling low-fare connectivity between more domestic destinations,” said Fastjet chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout.

“Fastjet will celebrate its third year of Zimbabwean operations in October and has invested substantially in the market with positive outcomes. While we are launching with a single frequency at present, Fastjet intends to further grow the route following further consultation with stakeholders and ultimately to introduce additional aircraft to facilitate growth.”

Bulawayo being the second largest city in Zimbabwe and a strategic economic hub that services nearby mining, industrial and agricultural activity, Bezuidenhout believes that fastjet’s entry into this market will contribute positively in terms of further stimulating economic activity and growth.

The 2017 ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) study shows that aviation creates substantial up and downstream economic benefits. The air transport industry employs around 381 000 people in Africa and contributes more than $ 9 billion to the continent’s GDP. The catalytic impact of aviation stretches this to around 6.8 million jobs and $ 72.5 billion toward GDP. On a country and city scale airlines benefit local tourism, supply chain procurement and on average the market entry of a carrier on any new route stimulates job creation of around 100-200 opportunities across various sectors.