Air Tanzania will in the next two weeks start flights to Lusaka, Zambia, and Harare. It also plans to launch long-haul flights to China and India at the end of March.
Air Tanzania Company Ltd chief executive officer Ladislaus Matindi said that with six aircraft on its fleet, international flights have only been delayed by the challenges of IATA membership — which have since been finalised — and getting onto the GDS (global distribution system), which the airline hopes to finalise soon.
The company has two Airbus planes and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which are to be deployed on routes to China and India, Mr Matindi said.
Connecting to the GDS will help the airline to embark on intercontinental routes as the system will now allow it access to the international reservations network.
When the process is completed, the airline can start flying to China and India as of next month.
“We have now been able to connect to three GDS firms, including Travel Port, a European one and a Chinese one. We are also in the final stages of agreements with Amadeus and Sabre,” Mr Matindi said.
Growing fleet
Air Tanzania’s entry into Southern Africa is boosted by its growing fleet, with two Airbus A220s received in just over a month.
It is expecting its second Dreamliner later in the year, which it plans to deploy on the India and China routes. But it says it will also be vying for a share of the African market.
“We are also looking at flying to Nairobi and the Democratic Republic of Congo before the year ends, while remaining on course to introduce flights to London, the UAE and Oman over the next two years,” Mr Matindi added.
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