Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) has taken delivery of its first B787-8 after 5H-TCG (msn 64249) arrived in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, July 8.
On lease from TGF - Tanzania Government Flight, the aircraft is one of two the state is acquiring from Boeing (BOE, Washington National). Last month, Tanzanian Minister of Finance and Planning, Philip Mpango, confirmed having already paid a deposit for the second airframe whose delivery date is tentatively set for January 2020.
Air Tanzania has confirmed that in August, it will deploy the B787 into service on crew-training flights to the Tanzanian cities of Mwanza and Kilimanjaro. Given the six-month delay in the arrival of its pair of A220-300s, the B787 may also be used to revive service to regional African cities such as Harare International and Lusaka. Ultimately, from September onwards, the carrier plans to use the widebody aircraft to gradually open up flights to Mumbai International (India), Guangzhou (China), and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (Thailand).
Air Tanzania currently operates three Dash 8-400s on scheduled flights covering 11 Tanzanian towns and cities as well as Moroni International in the Comoros. It plans to reactivate flights to Bujumbura in Burundi as well as Entebbe in Uganda in August as well.
