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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

► GHANA: LCC FastJet to lease 15 new aircraft "soon".

FastjetBacked by EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and Lonrho-related "Rubicon Diversified Investments", Ghana's soon-to-be LCC FastJet plans to lease 15 aircraft of type and size unknown as of this writing, though co-shareholder Rubicon has insisted that aircraft are maintained to a "European standard".
"Fastjet.com, pending government approvals, is also expected to target routes into Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin. Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire is now the second largest route from Accra and Monrovia in Liberia is the third largest route.

The other potential Fastjet.com routes currently have little or no service. The carrier is likely to steer clear of countries such as Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali because the security levels in those countries are still considered dangerous by many Western governments."

This news follows on from an announcement 2 weeks ago by fellow Ghanaian start up, Starbow Airlines, that it intended to lease another BAe146 prior to commencement of regional services.