African low-cost carrier Fastjet is moving towards establishing a base in Kenya by creating a local offshoot in the country.
The move came as the airline, based in Tanzania, said it was continuing to monitor the outbreak of the Ebola virus and confirmed that there have been no reported cases in any of its destinations.
“Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia which is the nearest country effected by the outbreak, is 8,150 km from Dar es Salaam, compared to 7,150km from Monrovia to London, the airline said.
“Additionally, there are currently no direct flights between West Africa and Tanzania. The Fastjet business has not been affected by the epidemic.”
To comply with local airline ownership rules in Kenya, 51% of the equity of Fastjet Kenya is owned by an unnamed Kenyan national. The balance of 49% is ultimately held by Fastjet.
The airline’s chief executive Ed Winter said: “This is an important step for Fastjet. We have submitted a comprehensive application to the authorities who have confirmed that Fastjet Kenya has entered the approval process.
“We look forward to bringing the Fastjet operation to Kenya, offering our market stimulating fares, our excellent on time performance and friendly service.
“We are excited at the prospect of extending the footprint of the Fastjet operation through greater penetration of the African market with a Kenyan-based airline.
“This is in addition to the application for Fastjet Tanzania to operate services into Kenya from Tanzania.”