This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
Published on October 28, 2019, Air Tanzania Company Limited has taken a significant step in its plans to double its fleet to fourteen planes by 2022 with the acquisition of a second Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The new aircraft, which touched down at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) Terminal 1 in Dar es Salaam, brings the total number of brand new delivered planes in its fleet to seven.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-haul, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, capable of seating 242 to 330 passengers in typical two-class seating configurations.
According to the airline, plans are underway to double the size of its fleet to 14 aircraft by 2022, with the airline also exploring new routes and code-sharing agreements with other airlines.
As part of this vision, the Tanzania Government Flight Agency has recently signed a purchase contract with De Havilland to acquire a 78-seater Bombardier Q400.
Leonard Chamuriho, the Tanzanian transport ministry permanent secretary, noted that Air Tanzania currently holds just over 70% of the country’s domestic air travel market, with plans to introduce flights to Guangzhou, China, by the end of this year and new routes to Nairobi, Lubumbashi, and Kinshasa by June next year.
With the addition of the new Dreamliner, Air Tanzania’s existing fleet now includes two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, two Airbus A220-300 jets, and three DHC Dash 8-400 aircraft, formerly known as the Bombardier Q400 turboprop.
The airline currently operates on 10 domestic routes and provides regular flights to Harare (Zimbabwe), Bujumbura (Burundi), Entebbe (Uganda), and Moroni (Comoro Islands).
