Jambojet chief executive Willem Hondius. Photo nation.co.ke
Low-cost airline Jambojet has applied for licences to fly to destinations in 11 African countries in renewed efforts to expand operations beyond Kenya.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) had last year denied Jambojet a licence for international flights. The carrier, however, now says that it has proven its mettle locally and is ready for the regional market.
“For us this is the next step because we have established ourselves in Kenya already,” said Jambojet chief executive Willem Hondius in an interview.
The company wants to fly to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Jambojet wants to serve two destinations in Malawi— Blantyre and Lilongwe.
The airline is also seeking approvals to fly to Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Jambojet’s parent company and national carrier Kenya Airways already serves most of these destinations. Mr Hondius said in the interview that it had not yet been decided whether the two airlines would reach a code-sharing agreement to serve these routes.
According to a Kenya Gazette notice by the aviation regulator on Friday, Jambojet is also seeking to expand its domestic routes.