African budget airline, Fastjet (LON:FJET), has signed a letter of intent with ICBC International Leasing Company Limited in respect of the leasing of one A319-131 aircraft.
The airline plans to increase its
fleet this year as it seeks to expand its operations and add further routes to
its network.
With
fastjet's current fleet of three aircraft almost fully utilised, additional
aircraft will be required to support the planned expansion of fastjet Tanzania
and to facilitate the start-up of planned new fastjet operations in both Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
This
Aircraft is the first of a number that fastjet is planning to add to its fleet
this year, with each additional aircraft able to make up to 1,000 more seats
per day available to fastjet's customers. Based on the 75% load factors
currently being projected by fastjet, each aircraft in the fleet is expected to
carry approximately 275,000 passengers per annum.
fastjet
expects to put the Aircraft into service in the third quarter of 2015, subject
to entering into a lease agreement with certain conditions being met, including
the reconfiguration of seating and painting in fastjet livery.
Ed Winter,
fastjet Chief Executive Officer, said: "It will be a strong step forward
to add another aircraft to our fleet and embark on our planned expansion funded
by our recent £50 million placing. We are currently negotiating to bring
further aircraft into the fleet."
As previously announced, the Company's target is to have up to 34
aircraft operating to 40 destinations within and from Tanzania, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda by the end of 2018.
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