Zimbabwean start-up Flyafrica will begin operations in July with a maiden flight from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg.
The new route will be operated three times a week for the first month, after which the carrier plans to “expand operations”.
The airline labels itself as “Africa’s new low-fare airline” and says its launch “marks the end of high fares and unjust surcharges designed to exploit passengers”.
Initially based in Zimbawe, the carrier plans to start regional services from a number of African bases and says “new routes, increased frequencies and new airlines will be announced in the coming weeks and months”.
Chaka Karase has been named chief executive of Zimbabwe Flyafrica. He says it “is the first of several airlines in Africa that will combine low fares with global standards of safety and quality”.
Flyafrica group chief executive Adrian Hamilton-Manns says that “as part of its commitment to revolutionising travel, the airline does not apply any fuel surcharge – which can more than double the cost of any fare paid by the passenger. Fuel surcharges are simply double-charging by airlines to hide the true cost of travel. We will never apply a fuel surcharge.”
The new airline describes itself as a joint venture between a Zimbabwe-based infastructure company called Nu.com and private equity aviation investment group Flyafrica Ltd.
Nu.com was previously linked, along with 1time Holdings, to the Zimbabwean start-up Fresh Air, which failed to launch in 2012.
Flightglobal’s Ascend Online database shows Flyafrica has two Boeing 737-500s, and three more are to be delivered to the carrier by year-end.
Fleet details have been updated
Source: Cirium Dashboard
