FASTJET has recorded a slight drop of its passengers for October and November in Tanzania attributed to what they described as prolonged effects of October General Election in Tanzania.
The airline carried
62,843 passengers during the month, with the load factor – a measure of how
full its aeroplanes were – down three points from the previous month to 60 per
cent.
It attributes the
decline to the October General Election saying it resulted in muted demand from
government and civil service. “Primarily due to the prolonged effect of the
presidential election in Tanzania, which has yet to result in Cabinet being
appointed or a budget being agreed.
This has reduced
demand from governmental and civil service traffic, and had an adverse effect
on travel more widely in the country.,” Fastjet Chief Executive Officer, Ed
Winter was quoted in a statement.
“Whilst we remain
mindful of the temporary reduction in demand in Tanzania, we expect that this
will improve in the New Year when the political environment stabilises.
Severe weather in
November led to a slight reduction in punctuality, with 84 per cent of
Fastjet’s Tanzania flights arriving on time; however, the weather in Zimbabwe
was more clement, and all of Fastjet’s Zimbabwe flights arrived on time in what
was the first month of operation in the country.
“We are delighted
that Fastjet Zimbabwe has been well received in its first month of operation.
Passenger’s feedback has been positive and we look forward to expanding that
network,” said Chief Executive, Ed Winter.
During the month,
Fastjet also launched new route between Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and
Zanzibar. Tickets for the new route are currently on sale, with operations
commencing in January 2016 with daily flights between Dar es Salaam and
Zanzibar. “The exciting launch of new route between Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg
and Zanzibar links the stunning island with two thriving commercial centres.
Zanzibar, year-round
holiday destination, has recently enjoyed increased popularity, especially in
South Africa. We expect to attract new passengers to Fastjet in both Tanzania
and South Africa with our affordable fares and reliable air services,” Winter
said.
Investor concerns
are likely to focus on the core Tanzanian services, however, and here Winter
offered some hope, expressing confidence that things would pick up in the New
Year when the political environment stabilises.
“Our ‘one day
anniversary sale’ on 30 November, produced some excellent results, filling many
seats into early 2016,” Winter revealed.
Source: Daily News
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