flyafrica.com CEO Adrian Hamilton-Manns Discussing Expansion into Africa

Restructuring of Fly 540 Angola and Ghana

 

fastjet, Africa’s low cost airline, today confirms that as previously announced, two of its loss-making Fly540 businesses are being restructured with the objective of increasing shareholder value. The Fly540 businesses operate on a traditional airline model and not the fastjet low cost model.

 

After a detailed evaluation of the potential of Fly540 in both Ghana and Angola, fastjet has concluded that, although these countries present very significant long-term opportunities for the fastjet low cost model, in the short term fastjet intends to fully focus on the considerable potential of opportunities in East and Southern Africa. 

 

As a key part of the restructuring, two group-owned ATR aircraft previously operating in Ghana and Angola have been taken out of service and are currently in the process of being sold.  While a leased aircraft continues to operate in Ghana, the Angolan operation has been temporarily suspended, pending the return to service of two leased aircraft on completion of required maintenance.  Further details on the restructuring of both 540 operations will be announced in due course.

 

Fastjet interim chairman and CEO, Ed Winter, said: “Management has been carefully considering how best to restructure the Fly540 business which we inherited and this is a highly significant and very positive development in that process.

 

“We are currently focused on expanding the low cost fastjet network in East and Southern Africa by establishing bases in Zambia, Kenya and South Africa and these plans are progressing well.  However, our overall vision is to create a pan-African low-cost network and, as such, launching the low cost fastjet model in both Angola and Ghana remains firmly part of the Company’s long-term plans.”

IATA appoints new Area Manager for Southern Africa

 

GENEVA, Switzerland – Mr. Janaurieu (Jan) D’Sa has been appointed Area Manager for Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Mr D’Sa is currently IATA’s Assistant Director Industry Distribution and Financial Services for the Africa & Middle East region, managing a 50-strong team responsible for Industry Settlement Systems and based in Amman, Jordan. He will take up his new position based in IATA’s Johannesburg office early next month.

 

Mr. D’Sa, who reports to Mr Raphael Kuuchi, IATA’s new Vice President for Africa, is responsible for IATA’s activities and industry and stakeholder affairs in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Angola. Prior to joining IATA in 2002, Mr D’Sa worked in the telecommunications and security industries.

 

The Area Manager Southern Africa appointment marks Mr D’Sa’s return to the region. Prior to his current assignment in Jordan, Mr D’Sa served IATA’s member airlines as the body’s regional manager for Safety, Operations & Infrastructure and Industry Settlement Systems between 2005-2010.

 

Source: eturbonews

Fastjet still has eyes on South African Market

 

A domestic operation in South Africa is still on the cards for Tanzanian-based low-cost airline, Fastjet, with several more regional hubs being considered to grow intra-African routes. Capacity on the airline’s new Dar es Salaam – Lusaka service, launched last month, has been doubled with Chief Commercial Officer, Richard Bodin, commenting that plans to establish an independent base in Zambia have progressed well. "We are still very keen to establish an operation in Johannesburg," he added. "What we are currently working towards is to link our destinations with Johannesburg. Once we have established our base in Zambia, which we expect could be within the next three to six months, the very first route launched will be Johannesburg."

 

The long-term plan is to see different Fastjet-branded companies established across Africa. Ownership could be almost entirely locally-owned but "it is part of our quest to democratise air travel in Africa," Mr. Bodin maintained. He said the airline had no plans to syndicate its brand beyond the continent. And while new routes and hubs will be established in places of least resistance, a South African operation remains a priority. "We are in discussions with a few governments and companies which have seen the impact that affordable airfares have had.

 

"Zambia was chosen because obviously the market there offers great opportunities but also because the authorities there were very welcoming and keen. It is inevitable that countries with the most forward-thinking mentality are going to be the ones that attract us. And South Africa is certainly going to be a cornerstone," he added.

 

Source: iafrica

Regulations stifle airline growth, says fastjet CEO

 

 

FASTJET CEO Ed Winters has called on the government to do more to create a level playing field for airlines to operate in South Africa. He said Africa should be looking at ways to deregulate the market, as happened in Europe, as the current regulatory impediments and bureaucracy were hampering the growth of the industry.

 

"In the ’80s and ’90s Europe used to have loads of loss-making state airlines, guzzling money from the taxpayer and distorting the marketplace. Now they have a thriving, healthy and competitive aviation industry." The company has said that regional routes from South Africa to sub-Saharan destinations lack effective competition and are underserviced and overpriced. "The level of protectionism that we see is incredible, not just in South Africa, but throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Almost every country is protectionist and so keen to continue subsiding their loss-making state airlines."

 

Mr Winters said South African Airways (SAA) was overstaffed compared to international benchmarks. "Not by small numbers but by a factor of four or five. It is a huge employer."Speaking at SAA’s recent results presentation Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba said that the airline would not consider retrenching staff as part of the long-term plan to return the ailing state airline back to profitability. SAA employs 11,500 staff.

 

Mr Winters said fastjet remained interested in setting up a South African operation. "We want to form a company in South Africa to operate out of Johannesburg." This would be done in compliance with all local regulations, especially the local ownership rules which require a domestic airline to be 75% owned by local individuals or entities before it can operate scheduled domestic flights. He said the company was watching with interest the court case between Comair and Safair over the local ownership rules and whether this would set new precedents around regulation.

 

In terms of the low-cost airline’s new route from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka, launched at the beginning of the month, Mr Winters said it was already performing above expectations. The route was proving to be extremely popular, especially for traders, as it cut down a 24-road trip to a two-hour flight. Its Tanzanian operations had one of their best months in December.

 

Source: BDLive

SAA codeshares with Virgin Australia

 

 

South African Airways recently announced a new codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia. SAA flies daily between Johannesburg and Perth and this new partnership offers SAA customers expanded access across Australia to domestic destinations such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

 

The codeshare tickets went on sale on 7 February, for travel from 11 February. Virgin Australia has been an interline partner of SAA since July 2010, when the two airlines had a commercial agreement to handle those customers travelling on both airlines. SAA is now expanding this relationship into a codeshare agreement. 

 

Customers will also have the benefit of through-checking their baggage and receiving boarding passes from Johannesburg to their end destination in Australia, and onto any destination in Africa served by SAA when flying from Australia. Voyager members will continue to earn their miles for their entire itinerary.

 

Source: BusinessTravellerAfrica

SA Airlink Flight Attendant Vacancies

 

SA Airlink invites applications from all population groups for looking for Flight Attendant vacancies in Johannesburg. SA CM licence and unlicenced candidates are welcome to apply. SA Airlink Ltd is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is privately owned and has developed into South Africa’s first feeder network aimed at linking the smaller towns, regional centers and hubs throughout South Africa.

Requirements:

Applications are invited from dynamic candidates who:

• Are able to work on their own and without supervision, are physically fit
• Are well groomed, have weight proportional to height, minimum of 1.55m and not taller than 1.68m, are in possession of a Matric/Grade 12 Certificate
• Have good customer care and communication in English skills, are able to undergo an extremely intensive training programme of approximately six weeks, a series of assessments, interviews, security check, a medical examination, psychometric and psychological evaluation, have the ability to swim
• Are South African nationals and holders of valid South African identity documents
• Reside within a reasonable distance of the airport, have transport
• Are between 21 and 28 years of age

Your ONE-PAGE CV must clearly state and include the following:

• A clear full length photograph
• Certified copy of Matric /Grade 12 or equivalent qualification.
• Any additional qualification
• A minimum pass in English on the Higher Grade D or Standard Grade C
• Direct telephone contact details and e-mail address
• A brief employment history and letter of motivation

 

How to apply: 

 

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements should forward their CV’s by post (only postal CV’s will be accepted) to:
The Cabin Services Manager

PO Box 7495

Bonaero Park

1622 (Reference no: FA- JNB – 0214)

Closing Date: 19 February 2014.

Please take note: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Applicants who have not received a letter of acknowledgement within three months of the closing date, can assume that they were not short listed for an interview and are hereby thanked for their application. E-mails, faxes or hand deliveries will not be accepted.

Fastjet Recruiting Senior Commercial Planning and RM Analyst

 

 

Fastjet.com is Africa’s newest airline; having taken over fly540 operations in four countries across Africa we are consolidating the management functions in Europe and turning fly540 into a pan-African low-cost airline.  Fastjet has introduced modern and reliable western aircraft into African markets and fill the aircraft using aggressive inventory management and low lead-in prices.  The airline is backed by investors with experience in both the airline industry and the African marketplace.

 

Fastjet.com is looking to recruit a Senior Commercial Planning and RM Analyst to work for the fastjet commercial department.  This is a very hands-on role that will quickly expand in responsibilities as the airline grows.  The role will be based in Gatwick with occasional overseas travel and will report to the Head of Revenue Management & Route Development.

Salary: Subject to Candidate
Closing Date:  Feb 9, 2014
Please send covering letter and CV to dustin.holland@fastjet.com
Start Date: Immediate

Responsibilities

 

Revenue Management Duties:
·       Make tactical and strategic inventory movements to maximise revenue
·       Analyse booking data to make inventory and pricing decisions
·       Regularly report performance and ad hoc daily reporting to support inventory movements and organizational needs
·       Produce analysis and reports with actionable recommendations to maximise revenue
·       Collate, research and report data to produce demand and pricing models
·       Review and monitor competitors actions
·       Maintain data, information and inventory set-ups in the reservation system
·       Establish seasonality and inventory profiles and make amendments as required
·       To maintain fare rules both in terms of text and system restrictions
·       Price group and other travel requests
·       Fare collection and maintenance of fare databases
·       Loading and maintaining public and private fares in the reservation system
·       Regular system testing of new features and ticketing restrictions to ensure the smooth running of the reservation system
·       Maintain agent and office access through functional restrictions and office credit limits
·       Investigate system problems and fix ticket issuance issues
·       Void and refund tickets
Qualifications
·       At least 5 years of heavy analytical experience
·       Experience in data management, finance and/or accounting
·       Airline experience
·       Highly numerate
·       Econometrics experience  would be highly valued
·       University education preferred
·       Self-starter with an intellectual curiosity
·       MS Excel experience is a MUST

Source: Fastjet

First Pic of Air Zimbabwe's ERJ145

Thanks to the African Aviation Tribune, these are the first pictures of Air Zimbabwe's Embraer ERJ145 (MSN 145607 / ZS-BBH) which currently operates on domestic routes (Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls). The Embraer jet is currently on wet-lease through Solenta Aviation in South Africa.
Air Zimbabwe is currently offering special fares on its domestic and regional routes in-order to gain lost market share.

Fresh Air Commences First Flight in November

Fresh Air, the Zimbabwean registered airline who recently entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with South African low cost carrier, 1time Airline, is set to take to the skies on Friday, 2 November 2012 with their first flight departing OR Tambo International Airport en route to Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe. The route schedule, which as it stands, includes three weekly flights from OR Tambo International Airport on Mondays and Fridays at 10:40 am respectively, as well as a Sunday flight at 10:20 am.
As initially agreed, the JV encompasses 1time utilising its fleet of aircraft to serve the Fresh Air route, which subsequently replaces 1time’s current Livingstone flight schedule in favour of flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls Airport.
The route schedule, which as it stands, includes three weekly flights from OR Tambo International Airport on Mondays and Fridays at 10:40 am respectively, as well as a Sunday flight at 10:20 am.

SA Express Officially Announce Durban-Harare Route

SA Express: Durban-Harare Route Open for Booking

SA Express (SAX) Durban-Harare route is now available online for booking. The route will open on the 5th of October, 2012 with 3 weekly service (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) on-board a 50 pax CRJ 200 a/c.

Schedule:
Mon: SA1611 DUR0625-0850HRE
         SA1612 HRE1005-1230DUR
Wed: SA1611DUR1000-1225HRE
         SA1612HRE 1325-1550DUR
 Fri:   SA1611 DUR1400-1625HRE
         SA1612 HRE1700-1925DUR

SA Express is yet to issue a press release on this new route.

Fresh-Air Launching Soon!!!

Their website is still in progress, stay tuned for more info. http://www.fly-fresh.com

SA Express Awarded Harare Traffic Rights

SA Express has recently been awarded traffic rights for the Durban-Harare route. This follows the launch of services between Durban and Lusaka, Zambia on 12 July 2012. According to Lulu Bam, SAX communications manager, SAX is still working out the details for when the Durban-Harare service will launch and how many flights will be operated between the 2 destinations per week. The airline already operates 3 flights a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) from Durban to Lusaka. On 3 August 2012 it will launch a 4th weekly flight on Fridays between Durban’s King Shaka International Airport and Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. The flights use a 50-seater CRJ200 aircraft.
SAX also plans to launch flights between Durban and several other regional destinations in 2012. These are Vilanculos and Maputo in Mozambique, Windhoek in Namibia, Gaborone in Botswana, and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Click the link below for full details:
http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/trade-news-detail?oid=538379&sn=Detail&pid=309007&First-Lusaka--now-Harare-for-SA-Express

1time launches Zimbabwe low cost airline

 1time Airlines has concluded a joint venture agreement with Nu-Aero, trading as Fresh Air, a registered Zimbabwean company. Fresh Air is jointly owned by Nu.Com of Zimbabwe and 1time holdings. This strategic partnership has resulted in the launch of Zimbabwe's first low-cost air services provider, which will begin offering flights initially in September 2012. As part of the agreement, 1time will cease its current Livingstone route in favour of flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, which will subsequently become a Fresh Air operation.
Fresh Air and 1time completed the Civil Aviation Authority regulatory demonstration flight from OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg to Harare International Airport, before flying to Victoria Falls and then back to Johannesburg. Blacky Komani, CEO of 1time Airline says that this newly found agreement with Fresh Air provides an opportunity for both companies to take advantage of the fact that Africa is the only continent where the low-cost carrier model is yet to take flight with regional destinations. 1time will have a short term dispensation to operate aircraft on the ZS register, while executing a migration to Zimbabwean registered and crewed operation. This process will be carried out within a year. Feel free to leave your views on this new development.