Charter Services Expanding in Tanzania

The charter industry in Tanzania is growing, and Dar es Salaam–based Tanzanian Air Services, known as Tanzanair, leads the field for corporate and private VIP charter in Tanzania, as the oldest player to launch private air services in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Founded in 1969, Tanzanair operates from its own purpose-built passenger terminal between Terminals I and 2 at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. It offers charter flights with Caravans and King Airs.

“Business is mainly corporate or VIP charter and high-end tourism. A major part, however, is contract work and support to oil-and-gas [operators] when active and, of course, mining,” managing director John Samaras told BJT sister publication Aviation International News.

“We operate in our own facility and also have our approved AMO that caters to all general aviation aircraft and the Bombardier Dash 8-300. We maintain 30 third-party aircraft operated by the government and charter and scheduled operators.”

The Tanzanair fleet consists of the Cessna 208 Caravan, capable of carrying 13 passengers, the Reims Cessna 406 (10), King Air 200 (seven), and King Air 350i (eight or nine). Samaras did not specify the total number of aircraft in the fleet. Tanzanair claims to be equipped to cater to “medical evacuations, scenic and aerial surveys, air safaris ,and cargo flights.”

“Aviation has grown tremendously in Tanzania, and there are a lot of new Caravans for charter and scheduled work into areas where larger aircraft cannot land. The last year has been challenging for business for various reasons, but we hope the conditions will improve in the next six months,” he said.

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Tanzanair will fly to any location in Tanzania and neighboring countries, offering charter services for passenger, VIP, cargo, and contractual flights to fixed destinations, as well as to game parks and hunting lodges. It flies on charter to 70 airports and airstrips within Tanzania, and to neighboring countries and farther afield if need be, especially given the capabilities of the King Air 350i, purchased new in 2014.

It also has a maintenance facility where it works on its own fleet as well as that of other operators. The technicians receive regular training to ensure that aircraft are maintained to manufacturers’ standards.

“Challenges faced by operators are lack of night facilities at most of the airports, together with perhaps only six airports where jet-A is available,” said Samaras. Scheduled player Precision Air complains that it can fly only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and flag carrier Air Tanzania faces the same limitation.           

“Additionally, [when] flying outside Tanzania, getting overflight permits can also prove to be challenging, especially for charter operators. Lack of properly qualified, locally available pilots and engineers is a big challenge and it is getting worse. The ones available are aging and one can replace them only with expatriate expertise, which adds to the already bulging costs.”

Coastal Aviation has emerged as the biggest competitor to Tanzanair, and its “flying safari network” can access the remotest parts of the country, where road access is nonexistent, from a base in Dar es Salaam. It flies scheduled and VIP charter to 100 airstrips in East Africa, taking in the Serengeti, southern parks Ruaha and Selous, island destinations Pemba and Zanzibar, as well as Kenya and Rwanda. It claims to have 30 aircraft, including the Cessna 206, Caravan, and Pilatus PC-12.

Newer market entrant Auric Air is a third player in VIP charter in Tanzania. It is based in Mwanza, which has become a business hub because of its status as a gold-mining base and proximity to capital cities Kigali, Rwanda; Kampala, Uganda; and Nairobi, Kenya. The company, established in 2001, has 13 Caravans.

Zantas Air provides private and shared charter out of Arusha Airport, where it operates an FBO. It offers scheduled flights from Arusha to destinations in western Tanzania such as Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika.

Tanzania’s economy has struggled in the wake of the global financial crisis, and business is tough in today’s environment. “Expansion plans are there but have been delayed by the economic slowdown. We have retired older aircraft and plan to replace them with new. Aircraft being looked at are another King Air 350i and an additional Caravan EX,” Samaras concluded.