Air Tanzania Acquires 2nd Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Air Tanzania Company Limited has acquired a second Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is a step further to its plans of doubling the fleet to fourteen planes by 2022.

Acquisition of the new Dreamliner brings the total number of brand new delivered planes in its fleet to seven.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its variants seat 242 to 330 passengers in typical two-class seating configurations. It touched down at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) Terminal 1 in Dar es Salaam.

According to the airline, plans are underway to double the size of its fleet to 14 aircraft by 2022. Itis also exploring new routes and code-sharing agreements with other airlines.

In line with this vision, the Tanzania Government Flight Agency has recently signed a purchase contract with De Havilland. This will enable it to buy a 78-seater Bombardier Q400.

According to Tanzanian transport ministry permanent secretary, Leonard Chamuriho, Air Tanzania currently holds just over 70% of the country’s domestic air travel market. However, there are plans to introduce flights to Guangzhou, China, by the end of this year. There will also be new routes to Nairobi, Lubumbashi and Kinshasa by June next year

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).

Air Tanzania Company Limited is the flag carrier airline of Tanzania. It is based in Dar es Salaam with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport. It has been a member of the African Airlines Association since its inception.