South Africa’s budget airline, FlySafair, embarked on its maiden journey to Harare, marking an expansion in its Southern African operations.
The aircraft landed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, marking its debut flight from Johannesburg to Harare. The airline has scheduled daily flights for this route.
Reports from NewsDay reveal that the airline intends to include destinations like Livingstone, Victoria Falls, and Maputo in its network.
At the flight’s launch, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona emphasized the airline’s low-cost model’s significance in the aviation sector. He elaborated on how low-cost carriers, rather than competing with traditional carriers, actually expand the market by reaching out to previously untapped customer segments.
FlySafair’s pricing strategy sets them apart. Seats on the daily Harare route start from US$53, and the thrice-weekly Victoria Falls route begins at US$74.
Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi expressed her optimism, seeing FlySafair’s introduction as a testament to Zimbabwe’s potential as a tourist hub. She hopes the airline will play a pivotal role in helping Zimbabwe achieve its US$1 billion tourism industry goal.
Tich Muhonde, chairperson of the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd (ACZ), envisions this budget airline ushering a new connectivity era. Highlighting the affordability and convenience, Muhonde compared the flight’s duration to a day-long bus journey, emphasizing FlySafair’s edge.
FlySafair has been a recognized entity in Africa’s specialized aviation services since 1965.
