Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) is re-applying for slots at London Gatwick in line with plans for direct flights from Dar es Salaam in 2023, says Managing Director Ladislaus Matindi.
"Following the loss of our slots at Gatwick in 2020, we have started the process afresh to secure the same and talks with the UK authorities are going well," he said in an interview with The Citizen newspaper.
The national carrier had secured three landing slot pairs at Gatwick in 2019 and was planning to fly from Dar es Salaam via Kilimanjaro to London, but legal issues, Covid-19, and lack of suitable long-haul equipment reportedly resulted in the loss of the slots.
ch-aviation approached Matindi for comment, but he did not respond.
London would be the national carrier's third intercontinental route. Currently, it uses its two in-house B787-8s to operate 3x weekly flights to Mumbai Int'l, India, increasing to 4x weekly by year-end. It also operates weekly to Guangzhou, but due to continued Covid restrictions, flights to China are restrained to 75% capacity, Matindi explained to The Citizen.
Regionally, it uses its A220-300s to serve Bujumbura in Burundi 3x weekly; Harare Int'l in Zimbabwe 4x weekly; Lubumbashi in the DRC weekly; Zambia's Lusaka twice-weekly and Ndola 3x weekly; Moroni Int'l in the Comoros 4x weekly; and Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya 14x weekly, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module. It also serves 12 domestic destinations.
The Tanzanian government is spending USD201 million to boost ATCL's fleet in the coming financial year, adding two B737-9 MAX; one B787-8; one B767-300F freighter; and two DHC-8-Q400s. The current fleet comprises four A220-300s; two B787-8s; one DHC-8-Q300; and five Dash-8-Q400s, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.
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