Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) will acquire two more aircraft from Airbus, The Office of President John Magufuli has announced.
In a statement issued last week, Magufuli said only that two more aircraft had been ordered alongside a previously disclosed Dash 8-400 from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada. The state-owned airline currently operates two A220-300s in addition to one B787-8 (to be joined by a second by year-end) and three Dash 8-400s. All aircraft are leased from TGF - Tanzania Government Flight as are one Fokker 50 and one Fokker 28-3000 that were seconded to the airline on Magufuli's direction.
In the financial year 2018/19, the Tanzanian government budgeted TSZ495.6 billion Tanzanian shillings (USD215.95 million) for aircraft purchases. Magufuli intends to use a rejuvenated Air Tanzania to drive up tourist inflows thus benefiting the fiscus.
Thus far, government figures show annual passenger throughput has risen from 49,854 in 2015/16 to 242,668 in 2018/19 while the number of flights operated has grown from 672 in 2015/16 to 3,808 in 2018/19. Overall, Air Tanzania's revenue inflow has also increased from TSZ11.8 billion to TSZ45.7 billion for the same period.
Aside from its growing domestic Tanzanian network, Air Tanzania also serves Harare International, Moroni International, Lusaka, and Johannesburg O.R. Tambo regionally as well as Mumbai International internationally. Plans are currently in place to start service to Guangzhou by year-end.
