fastjet will commence daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo from July 20th.
Ticket sales are already open on fastjet.com, fastjet shops and all travel agents, with a special Launch Fare starting at $59 taxes included.
Fastjet will be the first affordable airline to operate the Harare-Bulawayo route; the airline presently flies between Harare and Johannesburg four times daily, between Harare and Victoria Falls twice daily and up to three times a week between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg.
“Fastjet has been pursuing this route designation for several years,” said fastjet chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout.
“We are delighted to see that positive changes in the Zimbabwean environment made this development possible, enabling low-fare connectivity between more domestic destinations.”
Fastjet will celebrate its third year of Zimbabwean operations in October and “has invested substantially in the market with positive outcomes,” he added.
“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.
A 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.
With the addition of the Harare Bulawayo route fastjet’s network in Zimbabwe now totals four destinations with more than 100 weekly flights; this makes fastjet the leading carrier in Zimbabwe.