Tanzania extends traffic rights to International Airlines following EU ban on its aircraft
Tanzania has extended a six-month traffic rights to international airlines in efforts to fill the travel vacuum caused by the recent European Union ban on all Tanzanian aircraft.
An official statement from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) explains that the decision was taken to safeguard tourism, business continuity, and international mobility, various facilitative measures.
“The TCAA has granted additional rights, for the period of six months, to Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways to support and facilitate local and regional connections to major Tanzanian destinations,” reads the dispatch.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority through the TCAA Director General, has been compelled to release a statement, assuring travellers that the European Union’s ban on all planes registered in the country, did not apply to the aircraft certified outside Tanzania.
“Following the European Union Public announcement regarding the inclusion of some Tanzanian-registered airlines on the European Union (EU) Air Safety List, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) has taken a number of necessary measures to ensure seamless movement and constant connectivity to and from all destinations in Tanzania!”
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the EU decision actually does not affect airlines that are registered outside of Tanzania and hence are not regulated by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).
The TCAA then is therefore urging travellers not to cancel their travel booking arrangements to Tanzania following the announcement on the European Union (EU) ban.
There is also the flexibility for local airlines where native Tanzanian operators have been granted regulatory clearance to partner with internationally registered operators through Codeshare or Block Permit arrangements.
This, according to TCAA will allow continued operation within destinations in Tanzania, without disruption.
On the other hand, stakeholder engagements are still taking place, with the TCAA being in active consultation with local operators, tourism stakeholders, and development partners to ensure a coordinated approach and minimize any potential inconvenience.
The Ministry of Transport through the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority is also in active engagement with the European Union over the matter, to try and fully address the issues identified.
These efforts aim to ensure that, once resolved, Tanzania will be removed from the EU Air Safety List ban in due course.
“We take this opportunity to reaffirm that Tanzania remains open and accessible, and the aviation sector continues to function under international safety and regulatory standards. These temporary arrangements are designed to preserve business continuity, investor confidence, and service reliability during this period,” reads part of the TCAA statement.