fastjet eyes Zambia and Kenya as next hubs

FastJet (LON:FJET) is focused on establishing new bases in Zambia and Kenya as soon as possible, its chief executive has told reporters.

The African no-frills airline has already expanded from its current hub in Tanzania with flights now to Lusaka, Johannesburg and Harare, but said earlier this year it needed to boost capacity further to achieve its full potential.

Discussions with the Zambian government had been very productive, Ed Winter, fastJet’s chief executive said, but progress in Kenya has been slower.

The group recently severed ties with its partner in the country to go it alone, having original intended for international flights from the country to start in 2012.

Winter told Bloomberg at the International Air Transport Association’s Africa Aviation Day that the right to fly to Kenya was an “absolute priority” and something it should have had 21 months ago.

As well as Zambia, FastJet also wants to establish bases in Zimbabwe and South Africa as it executes a plan to be flying six million passengers in a fleet of 24 aircraft by 2018. Flights to Uganda and Malawi and more destinations in Tanzania are also on the agenda.

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