1st Sep 2014 07:10
LONDON (Alliance News) - fastjet PLC said Monday that it has commenced flights between Dar es Salaam and Entebbe, marking the launch of its fourth international route between Tanzania and Uganda.
The low-cost African airline said the new route will be the only direct air link between the two African capitals; tickets for the new route go on sale Monday.
Flights are planned to commence on Tuesday September 16, and will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first weeks of September, said fastjet, increasing to four flights a week from the September 29.
fastjet said that it is confident that it will have a strong competitive advantage and that this new route will be a commercial success, with "market stimulating fares, starting from as low as US$50 plus government taxes." Since Air Uganda ceased flying, the fares offered by other carriers for flights in and out of the country have risen steadily, said the airline.
Last week the company launched a premium fare and a premium hold luggage package, part of a trend of low-cost airlines offering such services for an extra cost, although fastjet's reasoning for its new hold luggage package was highly relevant to the countries in which it operates.
Fastjet's new "SmartClass" premium fare package - which starts September 1 - will allow passengers to upgrade to a fare starting at USD160 one way on domestic flights and USD450 on international routes in return for being able to choose seats in advance, an increased baggage allowance of up to 32 kilogrammes, and the ability to change flight dates as many times as needed at no extra cost.
Shares in fastjet were trading 3.96% higher at 1.30 pence shortly after the market open Monday.
By Alice Attwood; [email protected]; @AliceAtAlliance
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