Recently updated on November 15th, 2023 at 10:36 pm
South African low-cost airline, FlySafair has launched its maiden flight to Harare as it expands its operations in southern Africa.
A FlySafair plane touchdown down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for its maiden flight from Johannesburg to Harare on Monday morning. It will be flying daily the Johannesburg-Harare route.
NewsDay reported that the airline will also be adding Livingstone, Victoria Falls and Maputo to its route network.
Speaking at the launch of FlySafair’s inaugural flights to Harare, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona said:
This airline will be offering travellers its signature low-cost model on regional routes.
Let me highlight the positive impact of low-cost airlines on the aviation industry.
Instead of competing with traditional carriers, low-cost carriers help grow the market by attracting non-fliers and tapping into new customer segments.
This approach is popular in the United States and Europe, I’m told they will allow travellers to book a seat on the daily Harare route for prices starting at only US$53 and a seat on the three times weekly Victoria Falls route from US$74.
Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the decision by FlySafair to launch flights to Harare and Victoria Falls shows they have confidence in Zimbabwe as a desirable tourist destination.
She said Zimbabwe is targeting to create a US$1 billion tourism industry, and the coming in of FlySafair brings the country closer to achieving that objective.
Airports Company of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd (ACZ) board chairperson Tich Muhonde said:
A budget airline ushering in a fresh era of connectivity; I am both thrilled and assured that this economical service will drive an increase in the number of passengers travelling between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The fares are comparable to bus prices, with the distinct advantage of the flight time being a mere two to two-and-a-half hours as opposed to a full day on a bus.
FlySafair has been a prominent provider of specialised aviation services in Africa since 1965.
