An Air Tanzania plane reportedly caused trouble at the Arusha Airport after it malfunctioned while in the process of taxiing for takeoff for Dar-es-salaam on Thursday August 7, 2025.
But what irked passengers most, is the fact that the company simply took it easy and many of them phoned in to complain.
Passengers aboard the Bombardier aircraft were shocked when trapped in the stalled plane as it abruptly stopped just as it was about to take off. The plane simply froze on the runaway after developing some weird noise.
When contacted for clarification, the Air Tanzania Northern Zone Manager, Margaret Leslie bristled; “Is this so much of a big issue to be followed up by the media?” she retorted.
Margaret was reminded that when it comes to air safety, with lives of people hanging in the balance, this is usually supposed to be an issue of paramount concern.
“There is nothing strange for planes to develop problems, it happens everywhere and every day,” the manager said, adding that was quite ‘normal!’
The Manager then said she will tell the company’s communication officer to issue a statement to the media, then she hung up.
It should be remembered that this was the same day that an aircraft which was flying from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, heading to Somalia had crashed into residential buildings killing six people in Kenya.
A day earlier a helicopter was involved in an accident in Ghana, killing the country’s two ministers among other victims.
When the Air Tanzania plane froze on the tracks at the Arusha Airport, definitely passengers had all the reasons to Panic.
But the malfunctioned plane also caused inconvenience as it was preventing other aircraft, such as those belonging to Flightlink and Precision air from landing as it was blocking the runway.
Eventually doors were opened and people on the plane alighted, some minibus vehicles drove to the aircraft and carried the passengers back to the terminal building’s waiting lounge.
Passengers were later also subjected to wait for over three hours and therefore compelled to contact the media and lodge complaints.
They were especially concerned that Air Tanzania, other than finding them an alternative plane, the company insisted that the same aircraft will be simply repaired and reused for the journey.
The Arusha Airport Manager, Edgar Mwankuga admitted that indeed the airplane stalled on the runway and caused inconveniences to other airport users, but added that the matter was promptly solved by dragging the faulty plane out of the way.