ATCL NOW POISED TO VENTURE INTO GROUND HANDLING

In Summary

• The subsidiary has also anticipated increased business volumes when the national carrier receives all the aircraft already on order and establishes new international routes. 

Arusha. In the wake of liberalisation of ground handling services at the airports, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) plans to establish a firm to service its cargo and provide allied services.

The subsidiary has also anticipated increased business volumes when the national carrier receives all the aircraft already on order and establishes new international routes.

“One of our future plans is to establish a ground handling company,” said the airline’s Sales and Distribution Manager, Mr Edward Nkwabi, here on Tuesday when addressing stakeholders in the tourism industry.

He could not reveal when the proposed facility would be formed but indicated the bulk of its operations will be at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), the airline’s hub.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) last year was liberalising ground handling service by adding another ground handler at the JNIA to meet the increasing demand.

Swissport Tanzania Limited, a subsidiary of Swissport International, dominates the ground handling business in the country.

In January last year, the national carrier announced to have entered into a contract with NAS-Dar Airco - a ground handling company for cargo and passengers through an automated system.

Mr Nkwabi also revealed plans by ATCL, now on a massive recovery programme after years of huge losses, to establish an engineering and maintenance facility at the JNIA. Other new projects on the cards include setting up a state-of-art Business Class Lounge at JNIA Terminal Three now under construction at the cost of Sh215 billion.

Also on the airline’s business plans is an establishment of an in-flight catering unit.

ATCL projects increased business after finalising plans to expand its international network, which will initially include Bujumbura, Entebbe, Mumbai, Harare, Lusaka, Johannesburg and Guangzhou.

The airline’s CEO, Mr Ladislaus Matindi, said the carrier was finalising plans to rejoin the International Air Transport Association (Iata) where it withdrew in 2008 at the height of its crisis.

Plans are also afoot to enable ATCL to join the global airline alliances in order to connect to the rest of the world in passenger and cargo transport.

The Citizen