New African low-cost start-up FastJet will launch operations this November and will initially operate from a base at Julius Nyerere International Airport.
The airport is the principal gateway to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania.

The airline had been expected to initially establish activities in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi but it is still awaiting type certification for the Airbus A319 in the country.

“Our initial focus will be on East Africa with the airline’s first base at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where the A319 aircraft has already been approved by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority,” said Ed Winter, chief executive, FastJet. 

“This will be followed by a second base in Nairobi, Kenya, once the A319 is approved there.

“We look forward to bringing a great, reliable and affordable service to the people of East Africa.”

The new pan-African low-cost carrier being developed by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has been established from a deal by investment business Rubicon Diversified Investments Plc to acquire control of existing African turboprop operator Fly540 from its parent Lonrho Aviation. 

The airline announced in early July that it had selected the Airbus A319 to support its operations a deal has now been signed with Babcock Brown Aircraft Management and is scheduled for delivery in October and negotiations on further aircraft deliveries later in the year are underway, according to the start-up.