The government of Zanzibar plans to buy an aircraft while prioritising airport infrastructure improvements, according to Khalid Mohamed Salum, minister of transport of the semi-autonomous region in Tanzania.
Salum said the Zanzibar government was focusing on improving the infrastructure at Zanzibar and Pemba Wawi airports. According to the region's five-year development plan, seen by ch-aviation, both airports face challenges due to increasing tourism, limited capacity, outdated facilities, and inadequate rescue services. The government's vision includes upgrading the airports to meet international standards and creating sustainable infrastructure. Key targets are to boost air cargo from 67% to 80% and passenger capacity from 44% to 95% by 2025-26. Planned actions involve upgrading Pemba, renovating Zanzibar's Terminal Two, expanding cargo services, and constructing helipads.
Meanwhile, Salum was cited by local newspaper The Citizen in the wake of the announcement by the Tanzanian government that it was expecting the arrival in Zanzibar of a third B787-8 for national carrier Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) (ATCL), with another expected by mid-2025.
ADS-B data shows the delivery of B787-8 5H-TCR (msn 67792) was delayed from August 19 but touched down in Zanzibar from Charleston International at 1801L (1501Z) on August 20. Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi joined other dignitaries to welcome its arrival. According to ch-aviation fleets data, the aircraft was bought from Boeing by TGF - Tanzania Government Flight (Dar es Salaam), which leases all state-owned aircraft to Air Tanzania.
In a statement, Tanzanian Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said the new B787-8 would allow ATCL to expand its network and frequencies. The 262-seater in a two-class configuration would open new routes to Kinshasa N'Djili and Goma (DR Congo), Lagos (Nigeria), and Muscat (Oman). The airline currently serves 13 domestic destinations. Its international services cover Entebbe (Uganda); Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya); Bujumbura (Burundi); Moroni International (Comoros); Lubumbashi (DR Congo); Ndola International and Lusaka (Zambia); Harare International (Zimbabwe); Mumbai International (India); Guangzhou (China); and Dubai International (UAE).
With the additional B787-8, ATCL's fleet numbers 16 aircraft, according to ch-aviation fleets data, including three B787-8 widebodies; one B767-300F widebody freighter; two B737-9 narrowbodies; four A220-300s (of which only one is in active service); and six regional turboprops (one DHC-8-Q300 and five DHC-8-Q400s).
