Tawanda Karombo Harare
REGIONAL countries are opening up their skies, with Fastjet announcing that the Zimbabwe government was closer to issuing it with an operator’s permit while Zambia has already scrapped a yellow fever certification requirement for travellers arriving from South Africa.
Fastjet is an Africa-focused airline operating in Tanzania.
It has already expanded into Zambia and South Africa as well as Uganda and has earmarked other markets in the region for expansion.
It said it had “identified many potential routes within and from Zimbabwe where it believes that the low-cost model will stimulate the market and tap into the huge market” of passengers currently travelling by bus.
Another low-cost carrier, FlyAfrica, already has budget flights linking Zimbabwe and South Africa.
This has intensified competition on the route although informed experts say the bigger players on the route – SAA and Air Zimbabwe – are still recording brisk business.
“There are other routes that have potential but which current operators are overlooking like Harare to Cape Town and Johannesburg or Cape Town to Victoria Falls or Harare to Tanzania or Harare to Windhoek,” said an aviation industry executive yesterday.
Countries in the region are opening up their skies to more players in a bid to grow tourist arrival figures.
Zimbabwe, previously dominated by Air Zimbabwe and SAA, is now allowing more airlines in its airspace – a situation that has seen the entry of operators such as Emirates and FlyAfrica.
Its northern neighbour, Zambia, is also bidding for more tourist arrivals. It recently said it had scrapped a requirement for yellow fever certification for arrivals through South Africa, a development officials say will help it boost tourist figures for this year beyond the one million mark.
Budget airline operators such as Fastjet are hoping to capitalise on this growing trend of regional countries that are opening up their skies. It said yesterday that the Zimbabwe government had granted it with an Air Service Permit, a key milestone towards being given a full operator’s licence.
“We recognised the real potential in Zimbabwe some time ago and as such have been working with the authorities both to build Fastjet Zimbabwe and obtain permission to commence operations to various domestic and international destinations from the country,” said Ed Winter, Fastjet’s chief executive and interim chairman.
The permit – which means that the government in Zimbabwe has approved its plans, aircraft and model of business – is a major step towards landing final licensing in the country.
Apparently, Fastjet executives are excited by the opportunities for high-travel volumes that lucrative routes such as the Harare/Johannesburg one offers.
“There are as many as 100 buses a day travelling 1 100km between Harare and Johannesburg at fares up to $120 (R1 424) – return,” said Winter.
Earlier this year, Fastjet received a major boost for its regional expansion bid after Zambian authorities approved phase one of its application for a licence in the country.
State-owned airliners in the region are struggling for viability, bogged down by their dependence on the state for funding, according to experts.
Zimbabwe has earmarked most of its parastatals, including flag carrier Air Zimbabwe for privatisation but the process has stalled.
Private commercial airlines and budget carriers could now capitalise on the ailing state of most state airlines in the region through launching operations in regional countries.