AUGUST 27TH, 2015

Fastjet adds to fleet with new plane lease

Africa-based budget airline Fastjet (LON:FJET) added to its rapidly growing fleet of aircraft on Thursday.

The group has signed the operating lease on its fifth aircraft, an Airbus A319, with SMBC Aviation Capital.

The plane takes the number in Fastjet’s fleet to five and will start commercial flights in Tanzania on 1 September.

It is expected to help make the Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg route a daily service.

Ed Winter, chief executive, said: “Having reached our target figure for utilisation of our existing Tanzanian fleet, we are delighted to introduce an additional aircraft into Tanzania to satisfy the growing demand for our low-cost flights.”

It follows yesterday’s announcement that the group inked a letter of intent to buy its first plane, another A319.

The aircraft is set to become the first jet in the group’s Zambia fleet.

“Each additional aircraft is able to make up to 1,000 more seats per day available to Fastjet’s customers,” Winter said.