fastjet flies into Kariba, Hwange

FASTJET Zimbabwe yesterday said it would be introducing flights to Kariba and Hwange next year, as it accelerates a long-cherished plan to completely network Zimbabwe.

The regional carrier currently services the Harare-Bulawayo route, along with the Harare-Victoria Falls one, among its key regional and domestic destinations.

But it sees opportunities in the two strategic destinations, which are located in prime resorts.

fastjet said the services would commence in March 2023.

The regional carrier’s spokesperson Nunurai Ndawana said the addition of these leisure destinations resonated with the airline’s vision.

“We continue to demonstrate our commitment to the growth of tourism and the sustainability of air services in the markets we serve,” Ndawana said, noting that an Embraer aircraft would be deployed on the routes.

“The addition of these leisure destinations will greatly support our vision. The Embraer E120 is a robust turboprop aircraft designed for domestic operations, offering customers a pressurised cabin with spacious legroom and overhead baggage space. We intend to align our timings to schedule our flights in such a way that we offer customers the flexibility and convenience of multiple frequencies per day,” Ndawana added.

Kariba town, which sits on the east end of the 300km-long Lake Kariba, has been underserved with scheduled flights for many years.

In 2014, Air Zimbabwe returned to the route after abandoning it in 1996, but pulled out within a year.

Early this year, another airline entered the route, but it has since pulled out.

Hwange, another of Zimbabwe’s key tourist destinations, relies mostly on passengers arriving at the nearby Victoria Falls International Airport.

fastjet Zimbabwe chief commercial officer Vivian Ruwuya said the airline was closely working with stakeholders and partners, including Airports Company of Zimbabwe and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, as they continue to explore ways to further develop the domestic flight network.

“We are delighted to announce that our new flights to Hwange and Kariba from our tourism hub of Victoria Falls and our Harare base will be supported by onward connections on Mack Air/South West Aviation into the Hwange National Park, the lodges of the Kariba eastern basin and the camps and operations in Mana Pools and the Lower Zambezi,” Ruwuya said

“The introduction of flights to Kariba and Hwange now allows visitors in Victoria Falls to explore the wonders of Zimbabwe further by visiting both Hwange National Park and enjoy some time on the lake in Kariba with its varied activities of game viewing, boating and fishing.”

In July, fastjet also introduced flights between Zimbabwe and Botswana to boost tourism in both countries.

This followed another launch in March of a direct flight between Victoria Falls and Mpumalanga in South Africa.-newsday