This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2023) |
Type | Private Company |
---|---|
Industry | Airline |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana |
Key people | Mark Hurst (CEO) Kris Jaganah (CFO) Donahue Cortes (COO) Julian Edmunds (CCO) |
Revenue | US$ 16.0 m million (2020) |
US$ 1,8m million (2020) | |
Website | fastjet |
Fastjet Limited is an African airline that began flight operations in 2012. It is headquartered in Johannesburg and serves regional flights between South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
In June 2012, to start the operations, Rubicon Diversified Investments Plc (later renamed Fastjet Plc) completed the acquisition of Lonrho's airline division for a transaction value of US$ 85.7M, satisfied by the issue of Rubicon ordinary shares to Lonrho. Key shareholders in the enlarged company would be Lonrho and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, through his easyGroup Holdings Limited (“easyGroup”). The airline division acquired included the African regional airline Fly 540, operating in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, which would form the platform for the development of a low-cost carrier for Africa, branded ‘Fastjet’ under the terms of the easyGroup brand license agreement.[ citation needed ]
The airline chose Dar es Salaam, Tanzania as its first operating base in Africa, with flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport commencing on 29 November 2012. Initially flights operated successfully between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, and between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. Further routes were to be added quickly, both domestically and to other East African destinations.[ citation needed ]
As well as expanding services from the base in Tanzania, in October 2015 the company obtained an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) for Zimbabwe, and Fastjet Zimbabwe was launched. The initial flights between its base at Harare International Airport to Victoria Falls commenced on 28 October 2015, and flights to Johannesburg commenced from 1 February 2016 and flights to Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga and Maun Botswana have recently been announced from Victoria Falls commencing on 16 March 30 June 2022.[ citation needed ]
With troubled operations and continued losses, majority shareholder Stelios Haji-Ioannou through his holding in EasyGroup successfully changed the board of Fastjet Plc with the departure of six board members in a short period of time. Ed Winters was replaced as CEO by Nico Bezuidenhout, from rival low-cost airline Mango, on 1 August 2016.[ citation needed ]
Bezuidenhout instigated a 'Stabilisation Plan', which included reducing unprofitable routes, switching [KJ3] [NN4] from A319s to (smaller) Embraer ERJ145 aircraft and moving the airline's headquarters from London Gatwick Airport to Africa - later revealed as a move to Johannesburg. The aim was to achieve cashflow breakeven in the fourth quarter of 2017. As part of a further fundraising in September 2017, to raise not less than US$44m.[ citation needed ]
At the time of the fundraising, it was announced in September 2017 that domestic flights would be launched in both Mozambique and South Africa, by way of brand license agreements with Solenta Aviation Mozambique and Federal Airlines respectively. Both were established airlines, but only flew small aircraft, operating air shuttle, scheduled and charter services. Fastjet Mozambique commenced operations on 3 November 2017 with flights from Maputo to Beira, Nampula and Tete.[ citation needed ]
As of February 2018, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout continues to build on Fastjet's current routes, with the launch of a Dar es Salaam to Kigoma flight. The airline launched daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo on 20 July 2018.[ citation needed ]
As of September 2019, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout resigned as the chief executive officer of Fastjet. He has been replaced by Mark Hurst.[ citation needed ]
At the end of the financial year Fastjet achieved profits for the first time in its history. However, during the height of the lockdown period the airline suspended flights across its network following the closure of borders between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Fastjet performed numerous repatriation flights during this period reuniting families and transporting essential staff between the two countries.[ citation needed ] In 2021 the company received fourth Embraer ERJ aircraft that was put into service on the Harare Bulawayo route.[ citation needed ]
At the beginning of 2022 Fastjet announced the launch of flights from Victoria Falls to Maun in Botswana on 4 times a week basis effective 30 June 2022. This becomes the second route that the airline would have launched in 2022 after flights from Victoria Falls to Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga.[ citation needed ]
Fastjet Limited is a company incorporated and domiciled in England and Wales and, until 24 August 2020, was traded on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (AIM) (FJET:LSE). [1] Estimated major interests in ordinary shares (as at April 2017) [2] are:
Shareholder | Shares | Interest |
---|---|---|
Solenta Aviation Holdings Limited | 2,549,247,180 | 67.00% |
Janus Henderson Investors | 214,943,665 | 5.66% |
Liberum Capital | 212,276,022 | 5.59% |
The Group functions of Fastjet Limited head office, and several dormant holding companies, have, since 2019, been reported as Fastjet Central Systems, which is responsible for the supply of all booking systems, brand compliance and oversight, and revenue accounting, for any Fastjet branded airline operations, for which it charges a management fee to the supported airline.
Two airlines are currently operational: Fastjet Zimbabwe, domestically in Zimbabwe and internationally, and FedAir, with mainly charter and safari business in South Africa. [1] The subsidiaries are included in the Group financial statements, because although the Group holds 50% or less of the voting rights in each, it controls the management, operations and distributions through contractual agreements as well as its shareholding. [3]
Trading name | Operating base | Operating company | Relationship | Voting rights held | Notes/refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fastjet Zimbabwe | Harare, Zimbabwe | Fastjet Zimbabwe Ltd. | Brand Licensee | 49% | [3] [1] |
Federal Air | Johannesburg, South Africa | Federal Airlines (Pty.) Ltd. | Brand Licensee ACMI Operator | 25% | [4] [1] |
Operations of Fastjet Zambia (49.5%) and Fastjet Mozambique (100%) have currently been discontinued. [1] Fastjet Tanzania, the original Fastjet operation, was sold on 26 November 2018. [1]
The Fastjet brand was originally owned by Easygroup Holdings Ltd, and licensed to Fastjet Plc. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou established the Fastjet brand in 2012. On 29 June 2017 Fastjet Plc entered into an agreement with Easygroup Holdings Ltd to acquire all intellectual property rights associated with the Fastjet brand for $2.5 million. [5]
Fastjet Limited group results are shown below (as at years ending 31 December):
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Turnover (US$ m) | n/a | 21.1 | 53.4 | 53.8 | 65.1 | 68.5 | 46.2 | 38.5 | 40.8 | 16.0 | 27.9 | |
Profit after tax (US$ m) | n/a | −55.9 | −80.9 | −72.1 | −21.9 | −48.1 | −24.5 | −65.0 | −6.9 | 1.8 | 0.1 | |
Number of employees (average) | 8 | 371 | 436 | 271 | n/a | n/a | 211 | 263 | 240 | 195 | 189 | |
Number of passengers (m) [lower-alpha 1] | 0.45 | 0.7 | 0.99 | 0.60 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.54 | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.06 | 0.15 | |
Passenger load factor (%) [lower-alpha 2] | 62.0 | 71.8 | 72 | 73.3 | 66.7 | 53.7 | 71 | 72 | 67 | 61 | 64 | |
Number of aircraft (scheduled)(at year end) | 7 | n/a | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
Number of aircraft (shuttle/safari)(at year end) | 4 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Notes/sources | [lower-alpha 3] | [lower-alpha 4] [1] | [1] | |||||||||
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Fastjet's Group head office is located in South Africa. [6] Prior to 2017, [7] it was based at London Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex. [8] The move to South Africa was done to lower the cost of doing business. [9] The registered office and Fastjet plc head office is in London. [10] Each locally incorporated airline has a registered/head office in its country of operation. [11] [ failed verification ]
As of October 2022, Fastjet Zimbabwe serves the following destinations in three African countries: [12]
As of April 2023, the Fastjet fleet consists of the following aircraft: [13]
Previously, Fastjet also operated the following aircraft types:[ citation needed ]
London Gatwick, also known as Gatwick Airport, is the secondary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Crawley, West Sussex, England, 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London. In 2022, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Heathrow Airport, and was the 8th-busiest in Europe by total passenger traffic. It covers a total area of 674 hectares.
EasyJet plc is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. It operates domestic and international scheduled services on 927 routes in more than 34 countries via its affiliate airlines EasyJet UK, EasyJet Switzerland, and EasyJet Europe. EasyJet plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. EasyGroup Holdings Ltd, the investment vehicle of the airline's founder, Greek-Cypriot businessman Stelios Haji-Ioannou, is the largest shareholder with a 15.27% stake. It employs circa 13,000 people, based throughout Europe but mainly in the UK.
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is a Greek Cypriot entrepreneur. Born into a wealthy ship-owning family, he is best known for founding the low-cost airline easyJet and the Stelmar shipping line with start-up funds provided by his father, Loucas. easyJet's foundation in 1995 marked the beginning of a series of ventures marketed under the "easy" brand, managed by easyGroup and chaired by Haji-Ioannou.
Precision Air Services Plc is a Tanzanian airline based at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. The airline operates scheduled passenger services to Nairobi, Entebbe, and to various airports and airstrips throughout Tanzania.
Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) (Swahili: Kampuni ya Ndege ya Tanzania) is the flag carrier airline of Tanzania. It is based in Dar es Salaam, with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport.
LAM - Mozambique Airlines, S. A. or Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, Ltd., operating as LAM Mozambique Airlines, is the flag carrier of Mozambique. The airline was established by the Portuguese colonial government of Mozambique in August 1936 as a charter carrier named DETA - Direcção de Exploração de Transportes Aéreos, and was renamed in 1980 following reorganisation. LAM Mozambique Airlines is based in Maputo, and has its hub at Maputo International Airport. It operates scheduled services in Southern Africa. The company is a member of the International Air Transport Association, and of the African Airlines Association since 1976.
Inter Aviation Services (Pty) Ltd, which traded as Interair South Africa, was a privately owned airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It operated scheduled passenger services from Johannesburg to regional destinations in Africa. Its main base was O. R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg.
Comair Limited was an airline based in South Africa that operated scheduled services on domestic routes as a British Airways franchisee. It also operated as a low-cost carrier under its own kulula.com brand. Its main base was OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, while focus cities were Cape Town, flying from Cape Town International Airport and Durban, King Shaka International Airport. Its headquarters were near OR Tambo in the Bonaero Park area of Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
Five Forty Aviation Ltd, trading as Fly540, is a low-cost airline which commenced operations in 2006 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya, operating both passenger and cargo services. The airline had two subsidiary airlines, Fly540 Ghana and Fly540 Angola, but has since focused its business expansion plans on East Africa. The company slogan was Your Local Airline.
EasyGroup Ltd is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded in 1998 and privately owned by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. It is headquartered in London, UK.
BA CityFlyer is a British regional airline, and a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways with its head office based in Didsbury, Manchester, England. It operates a network of domestic and European services from its base at London City Airport. All services operate with BA's full colours, titles and flight numbers. BA Cityflyer Limited holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, meaning that it is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
Julius Nyerere International Airport is the international airport of Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. It is located in Kipawa ward of Ilala District in Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. The airport has flights to destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It is named after Julius Nyerere, the nation's first president.
Zambezi Airlines was a privately owned airline headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, that operated flights to south and western Africa out of its base at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
Fastjet Airlines Limited (Tanzania), also known as Fastjet Tanzania, was a low-cost airline that operated flights under the fastjet brand in Tanzania. The airline was founded in 2011 as Fly540 Tanzania, but through the acquisition of Fly540 in 2012, it was rebranded as Fastjet Tanzania. It was based in Dar es Salaam. The airline carried more than 350,000 passengers in its first year of operations and sold one million seats by December 2014. It went into liquidation on 25 November 2019.
Fastjet Zimbabwe Limited, also known and styled as fastjet Zimbabwe, is a low-cost airline that has been incorporated to operate flights under the fastjet brand in Zimbabwe. It is the second locally incorporated airline to operate under the fastjet brand, following the example of Fastjet Tanzania.
Swissport Tanzania is an aviation service provider in Tanzania. The company entered the Tanzanian market in 2001 after the acquisition of Dar es Salaam Airports Handling Company (DAHACO) by the parent company Swissport International. The company currently operates Ground handling, Cargo Handling, Aircraft maintenance and Fueling services at Julius Nyerere International Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport. The company has also recently expanded its footprint due to the current growth saturation at the major airports into Songwe Airport and Mtwara Airport. The company is a public company and was listed on the Dar Stock Exchange in 2003.
Royal Fly-GH was a Ghanaian airline based at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Previously using the name Fly540 Ghana, it suspended operations in May 2014. It planned to resume flights by first quarter of 2019, but did not restart operations.
Fly540 Angola was a subsidiary of Fly540 that was based at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda and Cabinda Airport in Cabinda, Angola. Parent company Fastjet suspended its operations in April 2014 pending restructuring, although it never resumed flights.
Fastjet Mozambique, also known and styled as fastjet Mozambique, was a Mozambican low-cost airline based in Maputo that operated on major domestic routes under the fastjet brand in Mozambique. Fastjet entered the Mozambican market in partnership with Solenta Aviation Mozambique (SAM), which beforehand had specialised in charter flights.
fastjet has phased out all expatriate staff, concluded the closure of its Gatwick head office and successfully migrated the Head Office from the UK to South Africa.
the successful migration of fastjet's headquarters from Gatwick to South Africa
Registered Office and Head Office fastjet Plc Suite 2C First Point Buckingham Gate Gatwick Airport RH6 0NT
Registered Office and Head Office fastjet Plc 6th Floor 60 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0HR