Tanzania’s National Airline Still Deep in Red

Tanzania’s National Flag Carrier, the Air Tanzania, may be spotting blue color on its airframes, but the airline remains in red as far as profit (or lack of) is concerned.

Air Tanzania, apparently, remains a loss making entity according to the report released from the country’s Controller Auditor General (CAG) office.

The National Airline, despite piggy-backing on the government’s mercy, as well as facing very little competition domestically, has oncurred a loss of 36 billion/- in the fiscal year under review.

On brighter side though, the loss-making company has managed to reduce its rather big annual losses from the previous 60 billion/- recorded in the financial year 2019/2020 down to the current 36 billion/- in the fiscal year period of 2020/2021.

The ailing Air Tanzania has a fleet of four A220-300s, two B787-8s, one DHC-8-Q300, and five DHC-8-Q400s. 

The company anticipate that by 2025 its aircrafts will be flying to 15 domestic destinations, including Arusha, Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, Kigoma, Mbeya, Mpanda, Mwanza, Mtwara, Songea, Tabora, and Zanzibar.

Air Tanzania also occassionally flies to China and India.

Meanwhile the Controller Auditor General, Charles Kicheere has also uncovered overlapping responsibilities between the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) and the Tanzania Roads Network Agency (TANROADS).

According to Kicheere, the two state agencies are each claiming obligations when it comes to the task of construction and repairing runways at all the country airports, with the exception of Kilimanjaro International which operates under under the Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO).

On the other hand, the CAG in his report has advised that the more than 1,125 households that got discplaced in order to pave way for the expansion of the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar-es-salaam must be re-evaluated again.

According to the Controller Auditor General, the new appraisal must be conducted in order to determine the right of value of their rightful rates of compensation.