Regional airlines prepare for take off in Africa

The final piece in the jigsaw that will enable EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou to launch the low cost airline Fastjet in Africa will take place today.

Shareholders of Rubicon Diversified Investments, of which easyGroup owns a share, are expected to vote in favour of buying Lonrho Aviation – the Fly540 brand.

Ed Winter, former chief operating officer at easyJet, will head up Rubicon. Read more detail about Fastjet’s plans here.

So what else is happening in this sector in Africa?

Kenya Airways is preparing to launch its budget line Jambo Jet. According to a report in Ventures Africa it will be launched later this financial year after approval from relevant authorities.

There are also reports that  Ghanaian authorities are encouraging domestic carriers to begin regional operations. An insightful piece on Nathan Midgley’s Sushi in Accra blog looks at Ghana’s plans to become a regional aviation hub.