From BBCnews.

Fastjet, which bills itself as the African budget airline, has been cleared to fly to three more African countries from its hub in Tanzania.

The airline also agreed Thursday to create a low-cost airline in Nigeria operating jointly with Nigeria’s Red 1 Airways, according to BBCnews.

Backed by Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Fastjet will fly to South Africa, Zambia and Rwanda. Route approvals have been granted by the countries’ governments under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, the report said.

“This is a monumental day in Fastjet’s history and brings us closer to our goal of becoming Africa’s first pan-continental low-cost airline,” CEO Ed Winter said in the report.

The airline had planned to launch domestic service out of South Africa in May but put those plans are on hold, partly due to a failed bid to buy the bankrupt 1time in South Africa, according to an earlier report in Business Day Live.

Fastjet was created after buying the African airline Fly540. It has been operating from Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Angola with 10 aircraft flying to around 25 destinations in Africa, the BBCnews report says.

Launch dates have not yet been announced for flights to Johannesburg, Kigali and Lusaka from Dar es Salaam.

The report said the company hopes to offer flights booked early for about $100 each way between Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam.

Fastjet said it had secured financing up $23.5m through an equity deal with Darwin, a subsidiary of fund managers Henderson Global Investors Volantis Capital, according to the BBCnews report.