A combination of “unprecedented” bird strikes and maintenance delays resulted in a number of Fastjet flights being delayed and others being cancelled, the African low-cost carrier disclosed today.
Normal operations to the airline’s Tanzania flight programme are expected to resume tomorrow.
The carrier said it evaluated the possibility of leasing an aircraft to cover the reduction in its fleet but was unable to source a suitable aircraft in the required timeframe.
Fastjet said aircraft suffered an unprecedented total of four bird strikes in two weeks, with two large birds colliding with the nose cone of the aircraft, and two hitting the aircraft engines fan blades.
Another aircraft on scheduled maintenance was delayed in returning to operation due to repairs taking much longer than expected.
The airline insisted today that the cancellations and delays had a “minimal impact” on passenger numbers or financial results .
Chief executive and interim chairman Ed Winter said: “We have apologised to all passengers affected by this unfortunate combination of events. Our staff have done everything possible to take care of and communicate with affected customers.
“It is highly unusual to have had four bird strikes in such a short period of time; these coinciding with a maintenance delay compounded the situation.
“Going forward, we are working with the relevant authorities to improve the management of the Mwanza airfield and surrounding areas to reduce the likelihood of bird strikes in the future.
“Also, as we execute our plan to add more aircraft to the fleet, we would expect similar circumstances to have a smaller impact on operations.”