The European Union has included Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) on its updated Air Safety List, banning the African carrier from flying to, from, or over the bloc's airspace.
The decision is based on an audit by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which identified serious, although unspecific safety concerns. The EU also denied Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation to the carrier.
"We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania's safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards," EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said.
The decision has no impact on the airline's current network, as it does not fly to the EU. However, government spokesperson Gerson Tsigwa confirmed to The Citizen, a Tanzanian daily, that the airline had been in talks about acquiring slots for flights to the bloc.
"EU aviation experts are expected to visit Tanzania soon to complete the vetting process. This inspection will be a crucial step toward granting Air Tanzania the licence to operate in EU airspace," Tsigwa said.
The government-owned carrier operates three B787-8s capable of reaching Europe without stops. The ch-aviation schedules shows that the two active aircraft are currently deployed out of Dar es Salaam to Mumbai International and Guangzhou, while the third one has been parked at Kilimanjaro since September 2024. Air Tanzania's fleet also includes four A220-300s, two B737-9s, one B767-300F, one DHC-8-Q300, and five DHC-8-Q400s.
Air Tanzania is one of seven airlines banned individually banned from the EU. A further 100 airlines from 15 countries are banned due to concerns with the national oversight system. The EU also bans 22 airlines from Russia on safety grounds, although carriers certified in the country are in general prohibited from flying there due to prevailing sanctions.
