Fastjet (Dar es Salaam) has outlined its proposed two-phase growth-strategy for the next four years. Announcing its Full year results for the Financial Year ended December 31, 2013, the Tanzanian LCC said the initial phase would focus on fully utilising its current resources by increasing frequencies on its existing network (i.e Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, Lusaka, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and soon, Harare International) in addition to rolling out new routes to Kenya, Malawi and Uganda.
Once that phase is complete, the airline will then proceed with expansion throughout Africa.
"By 2018, fastjet expects to operate 24 aircraft and carry 6 million passengers. This represents only a 13% market share of estimated pan African passengers in these markets," it said.
Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia have been identified as major growth opportunities.
With its proposed new venture, Fastjet Zambia (Lusaka), currently in the pipeline, fastjet plans to base two aircraft in Zambia during the course of the year increasing the operation's fleet to three aircraft in 2016.
Thereafter, it plans to base three aircraft in South Africa in 2015 and expand its fleet in the country to five aircraft in 2016 and seven aircraft in 2017.
Fastjet's suspended Ghanaian and Angola operations - Fly540 Ghana (Accra) and Fly540 Angola (Luanda 4 De Fevereiro) - do not feature in the plans and will only return to operational status once their restructurings have been successfully completed.
To improve the carrier's international presence, it plans to enter into commercial and marketing agreements with third party inter-continental airlines of which Emirates (EK, Dubai International) has been touted as a prospect.
