Tanzania Purchase 2 Bombardier Q400 Aircraft
The Government of Tanzania recently
signed a purchase agreement for two Q400 aircrafts with Canadian manufacturer
Bombardier.
The aircrafts will be delivered with
a 76-seat configuration at the price of USD62m. They will be used for
commercial airline operations by Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), the
national carrier of Tanzania.
“Tanzania is a large country with
some challenging airfields, and the Q400 turboprop’s capability to operate at
these airports, its jet-like speed, long-range cruise capability and
outstanding turboprop economics were key factors that guided us in selecting
the aircraft for our operations,” said Leonard Chamuriho, Permanent Secretary
at the Ministry of Transport, Works and Communication of Tanzania.
“The Q400 aircraft is a showcase for
the continent, where it has proved itself to be extremely efficient as well as
cost-effective,” said Jean-Paul Boutibou, Vice President of Sales – Middle East
and Africa at Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
The purchase is part of ATCL’s plan
to expand in Tanzania and the African region. Air Tanzania ATCL is the flag
carrier airline of Tanzania based in Dar es Salaam with its hub at Julius
Nyerere International Airport (JNIA). It was established as Air Tanzania
Corporation (ATC) in 1977 and wholly owned by the Tanzanian Government until
2002 when it was partially privatized.
The Government therefore reduced its
shareholding to 51% and entered into a partnership with South African Airways.
The partnership ended in 2006 when the Government of Tanzania repurchased the
shares and the airline became once again a wholly owned government company.
Currently (2016), Air Tanzania flies only to Kigoma and Comoros but it plans to
launch at least 11 new routes, including Dodoma, after the 2 new aircrafts are
delivered.
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