fastjet will commence daily flights to Zanzibar from Johannesburg on 11 January 2016, using Airbus A319 jet aircraft with seating for up to 156 passengers.

Flights will depart Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport at 09h30 and land at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International at 13h20, with the return flight from Johannesburg departing at 14h10 and landing in Zanzibar at 19h40 (all local times).

Flights in both directions will involve a 30-minute stopover in Dar es Salaam, but Zanzibar/Johannesburg passengers will not need to disembark the aircraft and all luggage will be checked through to its final destination.

Tickets for the Zanzibar flights are on sale immediately, with one-way fares from Johannesburg starting from R1 704, and fares from Zanzibar starting at R1 860, making a return flight to the Spice Island from Johannesburg R3 564, including all airport and government taxes.

Previously, fastjet partnered with Dar es Salaam based Coastal Aviation, to fly passengers to Zanzibar, but flights were restricted to daylight flights and involved transfers and luggage collection on the ground in Dar es Salaam.