Solenta Aviation Mozambique (FW, Maputo) has confirmed it received long-awaited approval for a scheduled services licence on December 17, clearing the way for it to launch regular domestic flights under a revived Fastjet Mozambique (Maputo) brand.
"Once we have thoroughly researched the terms and conditions attached to the licence, we will further announce our plans accordingly," the company said in a statement shared with ch-aviation. The initial plan is to focus on building a strong domestic network.
This followed a December 16 announcement by Mozambique's civil aviation regulator (Autoridade Reguladora da Aviação Civil de Moçambique - IACM) that it would formally issue a domestic operating licence to Solenta/Fastjet on December 17, marking the opening of the country’s air transport market to new entrants.
The licensing follows a decree approved by the Mozambican Council of Ministers on December 16 that updates the legal framework governing air transport in the country. The decree aims to liberalise the domestic aviation market while strengthening the IACM’s supervisory powers.
Under the new framework, the IACM is authorised to oversee market access, set tariff limits for airlines operating domestic routes, and monitor compliance with the decree, international standards, and best practices, the regulator said.
Solenta Aviation Mozambique had planned to start scheduled services in June 2025 with two E145s under a franchise agreement with Fastjet Group, but regulatory delays stalled its plans. The company already holds an unscheduled air operator’s certificate (AOC) and has provided ACMI and fixed-wing services to the oil, gas, and mining sectors in Mozambique since 2009.
The carrier is a subsidiary of Solenta Aviation (SET, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), which is also a part-shareholder in Fastjet Group, which in turn also includes scheduled operator Fastjet Zimbabwe, non-scheduled shuttle and charter carrier Federal Airlines (South Africa), and a central holding company.
Fastjet Group first established Fastjet Mozambique as a virtual carrier in 2017, but the business folded in October 2019 amid market overcapacity following the entry of now-dormant Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines and the impact of two tropical cyclones earlier that year.
Mozambique’s domestic market is currently dominated by state-owned flag carrier LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, which is rebuilding its fleet with the acquisition of two E190s as part of an ongoing restructuring programme following years of financial and managerial instability.
