Africa – The First No Frill Airlines
Africa is currently the only continent that doesn’t have a ‘no frills’ airline. Europe has easy Jet, Australia and the Pacific have Virgin Blue, Asia has Tiger Air and the USA has Southwest. The ‘no frills’ airlines phenomenon began in the 1970′s in the USA, which then sparked Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou to establish easy Jet as the first low cost airline in Europe. Sir Stelios is now working with Rubicon Diversified Investments on a feasibility study to see if this venture in Africa is possible and worthwhile. It was announced last year that the new ‘no frills’ airline will be called Fastjet.com, after Stelios signed a deal with easy Jet not to use the same name brand anywhere else.
Is ‘no frills’ the way people are going to be travelling on an Namibia safari in year to come? Would you want to travel around Africa on a ‘no frills’ airline where your comfort and accessibility will be compromised? For almost everyone, travelling around Africa on a ‘no frills’ airline is a brilliant solution to a currently expensive problem. A new low cost airline would not only suit Africans but it would also make life a great deal easier and cheaper for international travellers and backpackers.
A trip to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania would not only be affordable but much more accessible to a wide range of people which would in turn open more nations in Africa up, it would also increase the number of visitors and in turn more revenue for countries. The concept of ‘no frills’ travel has worked exceptionally well in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, with each continent now home to more than one ‘no frills’ carrier. If low cost carriers are also able to fly to airports nearer to National Parks and Conservancies this will be extremely beneficial for those going on a Tanzania safari.
The talks are still preliminary, but there is absolutely no reason as to why Africa can’t join the world of ‘no frills’ travel. It would change the way the continent works, the way people travel and would almost certainly bring in more tourists. If the plan does go ahead then I see no reason for each and every African nation wanting to be a hub for a new lost cost airline.