This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On November 23, 2019, Tanzania's foreign affairs minister, Palamagamba Kabudi, summoned Canada's high commissioner to express the government's disappointment and anger over the impounding of a new aircraft in Canada.
The aircraft, a DHC Dash 8-400 turboprop, was set to be delivered to state-owned Air Tanzania but was instead impounded due to a land compensation dispute. The dispute dates back several decades and involves a retired Tanzanian farmer who claims to have been owed compensation for the expropriation of his land.
According to Kabudi, the Tanzanian government had hired lawyers in Canada to defend it against the action, which is from the same individual who filed a lawsuit in a South African court claiming he was owed compensation by the government. In August, South African authorities impounded an Airbus 220-300 leased by Air Tanzania, but a court later ordered the release of the aircraft.
Under President John Magufuli, who took office in 2015, Tanzania has spent hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing at least nine new planes for the loss-making state carrier since 2016. The airline's existing fleet includes two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, two Airbus A220-300s, and three DHC Dash 8-400s.
Air Tanzania has previously had planes targeted in legal actions, including a Q400 turboprop plane that was seized in Canada in 2017 over a $38 million lawsuit. The Q400 was released in March 2018 after a financial settlement was reached.
