Fastjet

History

Initial proposals

In June 2012, to start the operations, Rubicon Diversified Investments Plc (later renamed Fastjet Plc) completed the acquisition of Lonrho's airline division for a transaction value of US$ 85.7M, satisfied by the issue of Rubicon ordinary shares to Lonrho. Key shareholders in the enlarged company would be Lonrho and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, through his easyGroup Holdings Limited (“easyGroup”). The airline division acquired included the African regional airline Fly 540, operating in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, which would form the platform for the development of a low-cost carrier for Africa, branded ‘Fastjet’ under the terms of the easyGroup brand license agreement.

The airline chose Dar es Salaam, Tanzania as its first operating base in Africa, with flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport commencing on 29 November 2012. Initially flights operated successfully between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, and between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. Further routes were to be added quickly, both domestically and to other East African destinations.

Expansion of services

As well as expanding services from the base in Tanzania, in October 2015 the company obtained an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) for Zimbabwe, and Fastjet Zimbabwe was launched. The initial flights between its base at Harare International Airport to Victoria Falls commenced on 28 October 2015, and flights to Johannesburg commenced from 1 February 2016 and flights to Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga and Maun Botswana have recently been announced from Victoria Falls commencing on 16 March 30 June 2022.

With troubled operations and continued losses, majority shareholder Stelios Haji-Ioannou through his holding in EasyGroup successfully changed the board of Fastjet Plc with the departure of six board members in a short period of time. Ed Winters was replaced as CEO by Nico Bezuidenhout, from rival low-cost airline Mango, on 1 August 2016.

Bezuidenhout instigated a 'Stabilisation Plan', which included reducing unprofitable routes, switching [KJ3] [NN4] from A319s to (smaller) Embraer ERJ145 aircraft and moving the airline's headquarters from London Gatwick Airport to Africa - later revealed as a move to Johannesburg. The aim was to achieve cashflow breakeven in the fourth quarter of 2017. As part of a further fundraising in September 2017, to raise not less than US$44m.

At the time of the fundraising, it was announced in September 2017 that domestic flights would be launched in both Mozambique and South Africa, by way of brand license agreements with Solenta Aviation Mozambique and Federal Airlines respectively. Both were established airlines, but only flew small aircraft, operating air shuttle, scheduled and charter services. Fastjet Mozambique commenced operations on 3 November 2017 with flights from Maputo to Beira, Nampula and Tete.

As of February 2018, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout continues to build on Fastjet's current routes, with the launch of a Dar es Salaam to Kigoma flight. The airline launched daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo on 20 July 2018.

As of September 2019, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout resigned as the chief executive officer of Fastjet. He has been replaced by Mark Hurst.

At the end of the financial year Fastjet achieved profits for the first time in its history. However, during the height of the lockdown period the airline suspended flights across its network following the closure of borders between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Fastjet performed numerous repatriation flights during this period reuniting families and transporting essential staff between the two countries. In 2021 the company received fourth Embraer ERJ aircraft that was put into service on the Harare Bulawayo route.

At the beginning of 2022 Fastjet announced the launch of flights from Victoria Falls to Maun in Botswana on 4 times a week basis effective 30 June 2022. This becomes the second route that the airline would have launched in 2022 after flights from Victoria Falls to Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga.

In November 2023 Fastjet announced an increase of its frequency between Bulawayo and Johannesburg from daily to 12 weekly flights. It also re-introduced its morning service, with an inaugural flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo International (JNB) on an Embraer 145 aircraft.