Low-cost carrier fastjet said it expects to be cash
flow positive from operations for the full-year as it cut its fleet size in key
markets such as Zimbabwe and Tanzania and an expanded into Mozambique.The
airline responded to shareholder calls for board changes and cost cuts over the
last few years by removing its chairman and CEO. Since then, the company has
attempted to turn around its business by relocating its headquarters to
Johannesburg and cutting its fleet size. Fastjet reported four consecutive
quarters of higher load factor in Zimbabwe, even as the country went through a
volatile period with long-time President Robert Mugabe stepping down in
November.Civil aviation in Africa, which suffers from heavy
regulation, drives up cost of airline operations and sees intra-continent
travellers take circuitous through Europe and the Middle East.Fastjet said it was seeing load factors of 70 per cent
in aggregate in Mozambique and that it would buy three 70-seater aircraft to
service low-cost short-haul routes.
“We are excited by the expected entry-into-service of
turbo-prop aircraft during June 2018. This aircraft type serves a particular
purpose in that certain short-haul routes with shorter runways now become
accessible to fastjet, whilst the fuel-efficient nature of the aircraft will
stand us in good stead in an environment where fuel prices have shown an upward
trend,” Nico Bezuidenhout, fastjet CEO said.
0 comentários:
Post a Comment