Emirates Airline is understood to be in talks over a possible partnership with Africa's newest budget airline, Fastjet, according to an official statement issued by the fledgling carrier yesterday.
The announcement, made by the Fastjet chief executive Ed Winter, immediately followed comments to the Kenyan press by Jean-Luc Grillet, the head of African operations for Emirates, that his airline would be "willing to work with Fastjet".
Fastjet is the brainchild of the travel tycoon Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who launched the UK-based budget airline easyJet in 1995.
"A partnership would benefit both Fastjet and Emirates with greater passenger traffic, and would give travellers in Africa the opportunity to connect to the rest of the world through Emirates' Dubai hub, with Fastjet providing passengers from African cities," said Mr Winter's statement.
"The talks are at an early stage but this represents a great opportunity for both parties. Emirates currently flies to 24 destinations in Africa, while Fastjet launched its operations in Tanzania last month and plans to become a pan-African carrier."
Sir Stelios founded Fastjet with the London-based investment company Rubicon after it acquired the aviation assets of Lonrho, the pan-African conglomerate, earlier this year. He owns 5 per cent of the new carrier, which launched with a domestic Tanzanian service on November 29, operating the first of three Airbus A319s from Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere airport.
A second operating base is scheduled to open in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, during the first quarter of next year, to be followed by two West African bases in Accra, Ghana and Luanda, Angola.
The airline also said this week that it was close to acquiring South Africa's recently grounded 1time Airline, giving it a foothold in the continent's most developed aviation market.
Fastjet's pan-African aspirations could have appeal as a potential feeder network for Emirates, which relies on funnelling intercontinental traffic through its hub at Dubai International Airport.
Any such partnership would pose a direct competitive threat to Kenya Airways, whose strategy hinges on routing passengers through its Nairobi hub.
Officially, Emirates declined to confirm the Fastjet announcement.
"We routinely look at ways we can work with other airlines in order to offer customers the most convenient and seamless service possible. However, it is our policy not to comment on any discussions under way," said an Emirates spokesman.