The Civil Aviation Authority of Tanzania has temporarily revoked FastJet’s operating license at least up to the end of January next year following the airline’s repeated cancellation of flights.
The airline also has a huge debt accumulation it owes its contractors and the federal government of Tanzania.
Reports from Tanzania indicate that the airline had failed to address several operating issues that resulted in flights disruptions.
“Fastjet Tanzania has lost all its qualifications to mount flights in Tanzania due to its frequent flights’ cancellations,” said a statement from Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).
TCAA said Fastjet owed huge sums of money to them and other service providers amounting to US$600,000 (Tshs 1.4 billion) to the Federal Government of Tanzania through the provision of services like security along with other regulatory fees.
“All service providers that are demanding money from FatstJet should send their invoices to the Civil Aviation Authority,” said Hamza Johari the TCAA Director General.
TCAA issued a 28-day notice for the airline to submit its financial and business plans after it was reported that it was bought out by Tanzanian investors.
Johari said FastJet had insufficient planes for flights, which rendered them to fall below the required qualifications in Tanzania.
“We ask people to seek for alternative airlines as Fastjet cannot operate,” said Johari.
“We had suspended all foreign trips by Fastjet because, at the start of the month, we realized that the airline was facing a financial meltdown. They may resume their domestic and foreign flights after we are satisfied that they can fully operate,” said Johari.
FastJet launched their first scheduled passenger flights in 2012 amid tough conditions in Tanzania. It operates its regional flights from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka in Zambia, Harare (Zimbabwe), Maputo (Mozambique), and Johannesburg in South Africa.
All flights to and from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique haven’t been affected in the airline’s crisis.
