fastjet sees passenger numbers soar

Low cost African airline fastjet (LON:FJET) saw passenger numbers jump 61% in September compared with last year.

More than 81,000 people flew with fastjet last month, an increase of over 30,000 on September 2012’s figure.

Passenger numbers slipped as expected in Tanzania given the busier August month for travelling. 33,000 people flew in August, which was slightly higher than the 32,000 who took to the skies in September.

fastjet said the decrease in the load factor from 84% in August to 76% the following month came after it launched night flights on the Dar es Salaam to Mwanza route.

Chief executive and interim chairman Ed Winter said: “We are pleased to report better than expected passenger statistics for September, having achieved a 76% load factor despite coming out of the peak summer travel period and increasing the number of fastjet flights.

“This demonstrates the growing popularity of the low cost model amongst Tanzanian consumers.”

fastjet will make its first ever international flight on Friday as it starts taking passengers on its route between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

“The start of our international route network expansion this Friday will take the fastjet brand further afield, in line with our goal of becoming truly pan African,” Winter added.

Plans to begin flights on fastjet’s fifth Tanzanian route to the new Songwe airport in Mbeya remain on track, with the first fight scheduled for November 1.