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- May 10, 2012
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Dar es Salaam. Low-cost airline Fastjet recorded a whopping $13.3 million (Sh21.9 billion) loss from its Tanzania operations in the first half of 2013, casting a bleak future to an airline, which many thought would be their new saviour.
Though some aviation experts including the companys Chief Executive Ed Winter say the loss wont affect Fastjet operations in Tanzania, the figures released show a contrasting reality.
To put things into perspective, the airline, made an average loss of $2.21 million(Sh3.6 billion) a month between January and June, this year as it sought to build its empire in a country where both private and state owned airlines have been in a shambles. The loss Fastjet posted in Tanzania is 53 per cent of $24.9 million, which the low-cost airline recorded at group level during the same period, an interim report released by the company says.
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) loss $24.9million including $13.3million trading losses in the Tanzanian operation Tanzanian operation reported quarterly EBIT loss of $9.1 million in Q1 and $4.2m in Q2 a 54% reduction quarter on quarter, says the report seen by The Citizen.
According to the interim report, the companys net cash by the end of June, this year was $4.4million. Subsequent to this $9.3million (gross) raised via equity issuance, whereby in Tanzania Fastjet achieved $81 revenue per passenger in June almost two times $46 it recorded in January, this year..
However, the company downplayed the poor performance it recorded in the first half, saying the future was still bright in Tanzanias aviation sector.
Tanzanian operation is now profitable on an underlying route level basis; and based on current performance once scale increases with additional routes and fully utilised resources the business is expected to become profitable at the EBIT level Growing endorsement of the Fastjet brand and low cost airline model by Tanzanian consumers
The companys interim report further states, Though it did post operational losses of $9.1million and $4.2million in first quota and second quota of this year respectively, and based on current performance once scale increases with additional routes and fully utilised resources the business is expected to become profitable at the EBIT level.
The whopping losses, according to the company, were also caused mainly by start-up losses associated with launching Fastjet Tanzania in 2012.
The company remains optimistic about the future, expecting its financial situation to considerably improve in the second half of 2013 with further network expansion planned in Malawi and Zambia.
Though some aviation experts including the companys Chief Executive Ed Winter, say the loss wont affect Fastjet operations in Tanzania, the figures released show a contracting reality.
Normally when an airline begins operations it is not easy to record profit in the first year, because it uses a lot of cash to establish itself, said a Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority official, who preferred anonymity because he is not the authoritys spokesperson.
