It’s been a year since we launched FastJet and it’s been an amazing 12 months. Fastjet Plc is a low-cost airline with ambitions to provide a pan-African service. It delivers the same service as its European low-cost counterparts to the African continent.
The airline chose Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as its first operating base in Africa, with flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport commencing on 29 November 2012. Flights between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, and between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza swiftly helped make the airline famous — and the most liked african airline online.
Familiar to European travellers, the low-cost approach is revolutionary in Africa. Low-cost is quite simply the avoidance of costly frills, offering customers the lowest possible fares in addition to pay-as-you travel extras. This affords passengers the flexibility to pay for additional services such as a bag or refreshment rather than having to pay for it regardless whether you want it or not.
This approach is proving to be very popular!
Since launch the branding has had to flex in all directions to make the most of the many opportunities it has faced. The brilliant mascot of the African Grey parrot has helped steer the branding all over Africa — and has become the signature for progressive low-cost travel. But you can have too much of a good thing — and sometimes we have had to leave the Parrot on his perch and use the wider graphic language within the BrandWorld we have created for the organisation.
This strategic brand identity has really helped the brand align across the many touchpoints. We’re delighted to have been part of the journey, one that continues into next year with a new set of ideas and exciting opportunities, not least the new route opening South Africa up to the rest of Africa.