Ambitious FlySafair looking to hire more crew members & increase its aircraft

South African low-cost airline FlySafair is now aiming to boost its capacity by adding new aircraft to its fleet.

According to spokesperson Kirby Gordon, the domestic airline will add two planes in the next two months and also hire more crew.

Speaking to IOL’s Business Report, Gordon said the airline’s purchase of new aircraft would allow it to offer additional options to customers and keep fares lower.

FlySafair is rapidly growing its market share after the collapse of airline Comair and budget airline Mango’s business rescue process appears to have stalled, leaving it out of the market.

“Another highlight for us heading into 2023 is the fact that we’ve been awarded the rights to start operating a number of regional routes to neighbouring countries. We already operate a service to Mauritius and we’re busy working on a few new routes that we hope to be able to announce in the next few months,” Gordon said.

“In domestic air travel, particularly, we operated in a situation where the market supply was somewhat below the high season demand and so, as is usually the case, flights filled up and even the last, more expensive seats, ended up selling.

“What was a little unusual this year was quite how far in advance the flights were selling out, which was really a product of the fact that there was simply more demand than supply.”

In October, the South African Air Services Licensing Council approved the airline’s applications to operate flights to 10 new destinations across Southern Africa.

FlySafair now operates a twice-weekly service between South Africa and Mauritius, as well as domestic flights between Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, and Port Elizabeth.

The international award-winning airline for punctuality is ranked second globally and made it to the on-time airline in the Africa and Middle East category in the Official Aviation Guide of the Airways (OAG’s) 2023 Punctuality League.