fastjet increases Dar es Salaam – Nairobi flights
fastjet has increased the number of flights on its route between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya in response to strong passenger demand.
From 21 March 2016, fastjet will offer two daily return flights between each city every day of the week, making a total of 28 flights per week between Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The airline, which currently operates one daily flight between the two cities, has increased its flight frequency to provide passengers with a convenient early morning and evening flight service.
The morning flight will depart Dar es Salaam at 06h00 and land in Nairobi at 07h20. The return flight will take off from Nairobi at 07h50, and will land back in Dar es Salaam at 09h15.
The new evening flight will depart Dar es Salaam at 20h15 and land in Nairobi at 21h35. The return flight will depart Nairobi at 22h05 and land back in Dar es Salaam at 23h30.
The expanded schedule will result in nearly 19,000 seats each month on fastjet flights between the two cities, providing travellers with more convenient travel options at affordable fares.
“We have always promised to increase the frequency on our route between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi as consumer demand grew for our affordable, safe, quick and on-time service,” said Richard Bodin, fastjet’s Chief Commercial Officer. “The combined Dar es Salaam and Nairobi population of over eight million people was previously subjected to high air fares that we believe excluded large percentages of them from air travel, but now they have a real and affordable choice of airline.”
Bodin noted that since fastjet started flying on between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, they have estimated that up to a third of its passengers are been first time flyers who would otherwise not have been able to afford to travel by air between the two cities.
“The announcement of an extra 14 flights a week just two months after fastjet starting flying between the two countries on 11 January 2016 emphasises fastjet’s commitment to grow the number of consumers who can access the convenience of affordable air travel. This is sure to have a positive impact both on lives of the county’s citizens as well as on the economic growth of both countries,” says Bodin.
Tickets for the additional flights are already on sale, with fares starting from US$80 one-way, excluding taxes (US$49 departing Tanzania and US$40 departing Kenya), with fastjet advising passengers to book well in advance of their intended departure date to take advantage of its lowest priced fares.
“The additional evening return flights mean that passengers can schedule meetings in either Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, and travel to their destination city and back home within the same day,” said Bodin. “This convenience and choice is great for business passengers under pressure to maximise time and cost savings, and who do not want to overnight for just one or two meetings.”
The impact of fastjet flights to and from Kenya has already been substantial, with Bodin pointing out that on the day that fastjet announced that it would commence flights between Tanzania and Kenya, the cheapest fare with other airlines flying between the two countries suddenly dropped by as much as 40%.
“The basic fact is that competition is good for consumers. It brings choice and it brings air fares down. Affordable fares will make it easier for more entrepreneurs, tourists and other visitors to travel between Tanzania and Kenya,” says Bodin.
Also available for purchase on these route will be fastjet’s luggage upgrade option, ‘Freighty’, that allows passengers to transport up to 80kg of checked-in bags for US$80. The Freighty luggage option in particular has been popular with traders flying with fastjet to purchase wholesale produce internationally to transport back to their home markets to sell.
