Fastjet wins Africa leading low-cost airline award

Budget carrier fastjet has been voted by stakeholders in the transport and hospitality sectors as the best airline offering lowest airfares in comparison with other airlines and enabling first time fliers to enjoy unequalled flying packages.

According to the company’s Managing Director Mr. John Corse, the award was in recognition of the company’s commitment to keep improving and offering lowest possible airfares in the region.

Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Award is in recognition of the airline’s commitment in changing the entire air travel landscape in the continent.

Last year, fastjet won the Transport Innovator Awards 2015 for its innovative approach to the transformation of air travel as well as being rated as the company with the lowest airfares by WhichAirline.com.

The award also recognized its continuous passenger innovations, environmental commitment, growth, performance, operational safety and motivation of its staff that have cemented the airline an industry trendsetter.

Related: Fastjet introduces Nairobi-Dar route

Fastjet increases Dar-Nairobi flights

“We are happy to be recognized as the best low-budget airline in the region attracting many first time fliers. Indeed, research shows that over 40 per cent of our customers are first time fliers. The awards are an indication that we are focused towards becoming the leading low cost airline in the region,” Corse said.

The airline has opened new demand-led routes that include Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, Mwanza and Kilimanjaro. The airline also operates international routes from Dar es Salaam such as Johannesburg, Harare, Victoria Falls, Entebbe, Nairobi and Lusaka.

The carrier says its expectation is to have inclusive fares in all its destinations in and out of Tanzania.  The ideals of low-budget airlines is that low cost travel does not mean low-quality service but on the contrary, it offers a wide range of options to suit the most discerning traveler.

The award is globally recognized by World Travel Awards and sets out to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel tourism & hospitality industry.

Also available for fastjet customers’ choice is the luggage upgrade option dubbed, ‘freighty’, that allows passengers to transport up to 80kg of checked-in bags for Tsh.88,000 ($40). The freighty luggage option in particular has been popular with traders flying with fastjet to purchase wholesale produce internationally to transport back to their home markets to sell.

The results of a customer satisfaction survey showed that 100 per cent of customers were likely to recommend fastjet to a friend.