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Fastjet Zimbabwe wet-leases E120s for new domestic routes

Fastjet Zimbabwe (FN, Harare International) has taken delivery of the first of three 30-seater E120s to be wet-leased from South Africa's Sahara African Aviation (Mbombela).

ZS-PBT (msn 120260) arrived from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo on March 2, 2023, and will be used on new domestic routes from Harare International to Kariba and Hwange National Park, the airline announced in a statement.

"These new routes will bring to five the domestic destinations that Fastjet operates in Zimbabwe after Harare, Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, offering customers seamless connections to Zimbabwe's top domestic tourism destinations," the airline said.

Spokesman Nunurai Ndawana said: "We are finalising our preparations for the launch of flights to Kariba and Hwange National Park. The arrival of this aircraft will see us concluding the mandatory regulatory processes in operating flights to these strategic destinations in the development of tourism in Zimbabwe. In preparation for these route launches, the aircraft will operate a series of ad-hoc charter flights around Zimbabwe ahead of the full schedule...

Connectivity boost planned for western Zimbabwe

Fastjet Zimbabwe (FN, Harare International) plans to add touristy Kariba and Hwange National Park to its domestic network from Harare International and Victoria Falls in late March 2023, using 30-seater E120 turboprops.

A FastJet Zimbabwe spokesperson said various E120 options were being explored, to be finalised together with regulatory approval of the plans. The airline's current fleet comprises five E145s, ch-aviation fleets advanced data reveals.

The privately-owned carrier wants to offer multiple daily frequencies on each route, timed to line up seamlessly with connections provided by Botswana's Mack Air and Zimbabwean charter carrier South West Aviation (Zimbabwe) into Hwange National Park, the lodges of the Kariba eastern basin, and the camps at Mana Pools and the lower Zambezi.

Mack Air and South West Aviation will develop new hubs at Kariba - a major dam in the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe - and Victoria Falls in 2023 to align with FastJet Zimbabwe's flights, the carriers said in a separate statement.

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