Additional flights between Bulawayo and Harare offer more weekend flexibility.


I have gotten to know several people in my weekly commute between Harare and Bulawayo. Not many conversations have been shared but an occasional nod of the head. Most of the time our travel starts with us half asleep at sunrise or day end, exhausted from a full day’s work.


Tall, middle-aged and well-groomed. He wore a well-fitted navy-blue blazer with a crisp white shirt and khaki chinos. After a glance at his iconic haircut, all doubt in my mind had been removed. This is the gentleman I had read about in one of the Sunday business newspapers.


Not sure whether to call him by name or the professional way, Mister this or Mister that. A stout-looking gentleman in shorts and a rugby jacket greeted him, “Hello Busisa”. Eventually, got myself within a conversation distance and said, “Appears our paths are always crossing, and I introduced myself”.


Standing up he said, “My name is Busisa Moyo”. The handshake was firm accompanied by courteous eye contact. “For me, it’s flexibility, reliability and ease of booking,” I said referring to the fastjet flights. “Well for me it’s the personal service, choice of booking and responsiveness” he remarked.


“We are always on the go, business requirements have us moving from city to city and what you need is a responsive travel partner” he concluded, ordering another cup of coffee. I agreed, being responsive is what fastjet had just done by adding a mid-day flight between Harare and Bulawayo.


“In business, time is a rare commodity, these weekend midday flights now allow us to exhaust our to-do list on a Friday and fly between the two cities leisurely” he concluded. Two gentlemen entered the lounge and walked straight to us and said, “Linjani Busisa”, in Ndebele and they exchanged a hearty laughter before they settled comfortably on the couches behind us.


A fastjet official asked for everyone’s attention and announced the introduction of weekend midday flights between the capital of Harare and the manufacturing hub of Bulawayo. “Thank you for flying on our additional midday weekend flights from Harare to Bulawayo. This flight is for you. Flight FN8445 departs Harare at noon, arriving Bulawayo at 12:45. The return flight depart Bulawayo at 13:20 landing in Harare at 14:10. Thank you for flying on fastjet”.


Boarding commenced soon after her announcement. Gathering his things, Busisa said, “You see what I meant. For me, it’s the responsiveness. As customers we spoke, and they listened”.


We exchanged business cards and enjoyed a midday flight to Bulawayo.


Image: Busisa Moyo