Safety standards on par with Namibia – Fly Blue Crane

New kid on the block, Fly Blue Crane airline has said that they are in the clear in terms of their safety standards while operating and servicing the Windhoek Cape town route.
This was said this week by Fly Blue Crane, Chief Commercial Officer, Theunis Potgieter, in response to questions posed by the Economist. Safety regulations were the main factor for the demise of Fly Africa, another budget airline that tried to penetrate the Namibian market a year ago.
Potgieter, said, “since Fly Blue Crane is a South African carrier that has been certified by the South African Civil Aviation Authority, its safety requirements meet the standards and all safety approvals in Namibia.”
The newly introduced flight route, according to Potgieter, started their first flights on 13 and 15 May. He added that in the next few weeks, the airline will announce when they will start their regular schedule.
In terms of services and competition on the route, Potgieter said that since the introduction of the new flights they have received a very warm welcome from the authorities, media, travel trade and travellers.
He said that their introductory fares are from N$3210 return, all inclusive, advising that currently tickets will be booked online as they are still in the process of setting up their sales infrastructure in Windhoek.
According to Potgieter, Fly Blue Crane offers a quality product at attractive fares. “Our fares are all inclusive and includes free baggage, complementary snacks, beverages and a premium experience,” he quipped.
Asked about the reason for targeting that specific route, he said, “Growth in trade and tourism between South Africa and Namibia continues to increase. Our service is complementary to the other carriers and will assist in satisfying the increasing demand between the two cities.”
“We plan on operating a daily service from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Cape Town International,” he added.
Furthermore, he said that at this stage their focus is on servicing Cape Town from Windhoek and they will evaluate additional markets at a later stage.
The airline operates a modern and fuel-efficient 50-seater Embraer Regional Jet 145 (ERJ) aircraft in a single class configuration. It uses the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code 7B.