EasyJet founder Sir Stelios' new budget African airline FastJet has unveiled its new branding ahead its website going live a week today.
The new branding, featuring the well-known African Grey Parrot, was selected following in-depth market research in Africa and reflects the Company's mission, values and target audience.
The new web site
Home - FastJet Plc will go live next Tuesday to coincide with a big consumer launch from its first base in Tanzania.
Tickets will be sold online as well as through travel agents and fastjet's own sales desk, call centre and offices throughout East Africa.
Richard Bodin, chief commercial officer, said that the airline has a target date for the end of the month for its first flight but some of the regulatory issues were still being tied up so they are unable to say which route that will be.
Fastjet chief executive Ed Winter said: "The African Grey is renowned for its intelligence and is therefore a perfect personification of fastjet's motto; smart travel."
The airline now has three Airbus A319s as part of its fleet. All three aircraft are in the process of being painted with the fastjet livery before being dispatched to Tanzania ready for the launch.
Low cost airline grounded pending liquidation
Sir Stelios' budget African carrier is reported to have been in talks to buy a troubled airline which was grounded last weekend.
Low cost South African airline 1time ceased flying on Friday as the airline applied for business liquidation.
The rescue practitioner told South African news site News24 there was no prospect of survival after a' potential investor pulled out'.
South African trade union Solidarity, which represents 540 workers expected to be left jobless by the airline ceasing to trade, claimed budget African airline, FastJet, was the investor.
However fastjet said it was unable to comment on this. The African budget airline launched its new branding this week, see other story.
Passengers were left stranded in Zanzibar and Zimbabwe by the failure and were told via facebook that the airline would assist them with a cash reimbursement on arrival in South Africa up until yesterday.
A statement by 1time group CEO, Blacy Komani on the website said: "It is therefore with utmost regret,disappointment and heartfelt disbelief that we have to file for liquidation which means the end of a dream and an era for all of us."
1time applied for business rescue in August.
Source: Travel Mole