Tanzania receives third plane to bolster its national carrier

Tanzania has received the third of the six aircraft as part of the President John Magufuli administration's fleet improvement programme for the revived State-owned Air Tanzania.

The plane, a Bombardier Q-400, touched ground at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) on Monday evening, with President Magufuli gracing the event.

The government purchased the plane for $32 million from Canada's Bombardier Aerospace.

Two years ago, Tanzania developed the programme to revitalise its national carrier which included purchasing six new aircraft between 2016 and 2018, payment of debts and provision of start-up capital, improvement and modernisation of business systems.

"We will receive three more aircrafts. This time, jets. We will have a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and two Bombardier C300 series. They will arrive before the end of this year,” President Magufuli said on Monday.

The President also laid a foundation stone at the JNIA for installation of four radar systems.

The radars will also be installed at the Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Songwe airports within 18 months.

The project is part of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA's) strategy to improve civil aviation in the country.

"The project will also facilitate search and rescue operations in case of emergency or air accidents. This will enable the country to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO's) standards and guidelines," TCAA director-general Hamsa Johari said.

Air Tanzania was established as Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) on September in 1977 after the collapse of the regional East African Airways. Since then, the airline had been operating at a loss and depending on government subsidies.