Tanzania’s national flag carrier, Air Tanzania, has resumed double-daily flights to Kenya after a 20-year plus break.
The airline said it will operate double-daily flights between Dar es Salaam to Nairobi route, strategic to the carrier’s fleet and network expansion plans in Africa.
The airlines CEO Eng. Ladislaus Matindi told a briefing that the restart of the route was accelerated due to improved bilateral relations between the two countries, increased trade, inter-governmental relations, tourism, among many other factors.
“We at Air Tanzania are looking forward to bolstering the relations between Tanzania and Kenya, who have been trusted friends and sincere partners for decades, with this non-stop air service.” says Eng. Ladislaus Matindi.
Air Tanzania, Africa’s newest fleet, will fly the Airbus A220-300, a 132-seater with 12 business class seats and 120 economy class seats.
Apart from Nairobi, Air Tanzania has announced three new regional routes this month from Dar es Salaam to Bujumbura (Burundi), Ndola (Zambia), and Lubumbashi (DR Congo) as the country seeks to expand passenger services to new markets in Africa, Asia, and Europe as international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease. Mumbai (India), Hahaya (Comoros), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Entebbe (Uganda), and Guangzhou (China) are among the destinations served by Air Tanzania. It will add Johannesburg (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), and London (United Kingdom) to its destinations in the coming months.
Air Tanzania has eleven new modernized aircraft in its fleet, with eight of them joining in the last three years including five Bombardiers Q400’s, four Airbus A220-300’s, and two Boeing 787-800 Dreamliners. The airline has also made orders for additional six aircraft for $726 million, including a Bombadier Q 400, two Boeing 737-900s, two Boeing 787-800 Dreamliners, and one Boeing 767 Freighter, all of which are due to enter the fleet within the next two years.
Figures from Kenya’s statistics office indicate that Tanzanian exports to Kenya increased to Sh20.5 billion in the first six months of the year, up from Sh10.8 billion the previous year. The value of Kenyan exports sent to Tanzania grew to Sh17.8 billion from Sh14 billion.
