Civil Aviation clarifies issue of foreign airlines operating local flights in Tanzania

The Tanzania Times

There has been a series of confusion regarding the recent decision by Tanzania to allow foreign registered aircraft to commute local flights in the country.

To clear the air, the Tanzania Aviation Operators Association, wrote to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, requesting the TCAA clarification on the matter, following what was described as ‘misinformation circulating among tourism operators!’

The Tanzania Aviation Operators Association (TAOA) initiated the correspondence asking for urgent clarification from TCAA regarding the legality of foreign-registered aircraft operations within Tanzania.

“Specifically, because some tour operators in the country, had ‘mistakenly’ believed they could engage foreign-registered aircraft to pick up local business during the peak tourism season,’ reads a statement from TAOA.

In response, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority wrote back to explain that all air operators providing services within Tanzanian airspace should possess a valid Air Services License (ASL) and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

In their statement made available to The Tanzania Times, the TCAA, warned that any operations not meeting the said criteria will be deemed illegal.

In connection with that, the civil aviation authority requested the Tanzania Aviation Operators to ‘cooperate,’ through reporting unauthorized activities, including details on operators, aircraft, and operational dates, to ensure regulatory compliance and maintain aviation safety.

“Please, refer to your letter with Reference Number TAOA/TCAA/Public Notice/06/2025 dated on the 27 June 2025 regarding your concern on foreign operators providing air services in Tanzania without fulfilling the requirement of partnering with local operators.”

“Pursuant to regulation 3 (1) and 6 (1) of the Civil Aviation (Licensing of Air Services) Regulations, 2006, all air operators providing air transport services (scheduled or unscheduled) within the United Republic of Tanzania must possess, (a) A valid Air Services Licence (ASL); and (b) Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the Government through Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority….

…So, should there be any operator providing the services without possessing those two documents (valid ASL and AOC), that operator is contravening the law and may be subjected to regulation 53 (1) of the Civil Aviation (Licensing of Air Services) Regulations, 2006.”

“However, through a public notice issued on 18 June 2025, the Civil Aviation Authority had to grant temporary flight authorisations to locally registered air operators to partner with owners of foreign-registered aircraft by applying block flight permits or wet-leasing their aircraft.”

“The purpose of this decision was to bridge possible gaps especially those related to carrying Europeans between city pairs in Tanzania and neighbouring countries,” the TCAA maintained.

TAOA therefore has relayed the dispatch to its members saying they strongly encourage them to review the TCAA clarifications carefully and adhere strictly to aviation regulations.

​The whole incident started when the European Union banned all the aircraft registered in Tanzania from accessing its airspace due to safety and security concerns.

The restriction made many Europeans traveling to and within Tanzania to avoid locally endorsed planes, causing concern among many tour operators in the country.