New African no-frills carrier Fastjet has begun its long-awaited first services in Tanzania.
The airline, which is being backed by Easyjet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, ran its maiden service today (November 29) from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza in Tanzania using its first Airbus A319.
The company said the first flight was “almost full to capacity” and passengers were welcomed onboard by Fastjet chief executive Ed Winter.
A second A319 from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania also took off this morning, while a third aircraft is due to arrive next week.
Chief commercial officer Richard Bodin said: “Today's flights to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza mark the start of a new, revolutionary, smart way to travel for African people, and our first steps towards becoming a low-cost, reliable pan-African airline.”
The carrier plans to add a second base in Nairobi, Kenya, before extending its network to Accra in Ghana and Luanda, Angola.