Aviation industry clarifies pricing models for flights
INDUSTRY insiders in the aviation sector have shed light on the pricing strategies employed by airlines, revealing that shorter-distance flights are typically more expensive than longer flights, primarily due to substantial fuel consumption and other contributing factors.
A recent survey conducted by Sunday News highlighted the trend of regional flights being relatively more economical compared to domestic or local flights.
For instance, Fastjet Zimbabwe, a local low-cost airline, has indicated that flights from Johannesburg to Bulawayo are priced as low as US$123, whereas flights from Harare to Bulawayo start from US$112, despite the latter covering double the distance.
Furthermore, Air Zimbabwe has provided pricing details for various routes, indicating that fares from Harare to Bulawayo start at US$110, while fares from Harare to Victoria Falls begin at US$125 for one-way travel. Notably, flights from Harare to Johannesburg are priced from US$140, and flights from Harare to Dar es Salaam are pegged from US$200.
Responding to questions from Sunday News, Mr Nunurai Ndawana, the spokesperson for Fastjet Zimbabwe, emphasised the general costliness of short-haul flights across the industry, underscoring the prevailing pricing dynamics for such routes.
“This is due to the short distances that the aircraft operates, resulting in large amounts of fuel consumed during the take-off and landing phases of the flight. Another contributor is the frequent high number of flight cycles leading to more material fatigue and frequent inspections and maintenance costs.
“Fuel is one of the largest costs for airlines, and the fluctuation in oil prices can affect the fares offered. External factors such as market demands will also affect the pricing strategies applied by the airlines based on seasonality and economic factors,” he said.
“At Fastjet we have designed our fares in such a way that our customers are not impacted by these fluctuations and seasonality drivers, we continuously encourage our customers to book their flights six weeks in advance to get the lowest fares available,” added Mr Ndawana.
Zambezi Helicopter Company General Manager, Mr Collen Rupiya who is also a pilot and aviation expert weighed in saying there are several reasons why long-haul flights are often cheaper than short-haul flights and these range from economies of scale, fuel efficiency, simplified operations and pricing strategy.
“Long-haul flights typically operate on larger aircraft, which have lower costs per seat. An example is an A380 which has 500 to 800 seats. Such an aircraft would not be operated on routes like Harare to Bulawayo. Such routes would need smaller aircraft; typically, around 100 seats.
“Long-haul flights often have better fuel efficiency due to more direct routes and fewer take-offs and landings. Short-haul flights are less fuel efficient because a longer portion of the short-haul flight incurs higher aerodynamic drag (during climb and descent stages) — and coupled with the lower cruising altitudes of domestic flights,” said Mr Rupiya.
Turning to simplified operations, Mr Rupiya said long-haul flights typically have fewer connections and less complex scheduling while yield management is also a factor as airlines may offer discounts on long-haul flights to fill seats, as these flights often have more availability.
“Airlines may use long-haul flights as a ‘loss leader’ to attract customers and sell more profitable short-haul connections,” said Mr Rupiya.
He said despite the above factors, variations will always exist, and prices ultimately depend on supply, demand, and airline pricing strategies.
