AIR TANZANIA’S CEO AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS SUSPENDED
(Posted 05th August 2016)
‘That is the problem when an airline is run by politicians‘ said a regular aviation source based in Dar es Salaam, when passing on information that the Tanzanian Minister for Work,Transport and Communications Prof. Makame Mbarawa had yesterday afternoon suspended the airline’s CEO and the Director of Operations.
The reason given was that the two had allegedly selected an unqualified pilot to go for training to become type rated for the recently bought Bombardier Q400NG’s, prompting the ire and wrath of the minister.
The two new planes are reportedly due for delivery as of September this year and due haste was needed to select and send pilots for training.
It could not be independently verified what issues the Minister has with the one selected pilot he singled out or if that pilot is indeed lacking qualifications or if it was simply another case of politically inspired foulmouthing, all of course at the expense of the airline.
‘Buying two new planes is laudable. However, Air Tanzania is saddled with massive debts and unless those are cleared by government first will the airline continue to struggle financially. Creditors may anytime ask courts to attach assets which has happened before. I know they are trying to optically boost the airline and then find a strategic investor but hoodwinking those into deals is no longer as easy as it used to be. All attempts to partly privatise ATCL have failed in the past. Main reasons then were the level of debts and the influence of the union in that airline. Nothing as far as I am concerned has changed. The airline should be liquidated to use tax payer money for more urgent causes or else merge them with Precision Air so that we have one sound strong national airline and not a flying financial wreck‘ did the source then continue.
Meanwhile has Fastjet Tanzania emerged as the country’s leading airline in terms of passengers, followed by Precision Air and with Air Tanzania trailing as a very distant third. Other leading local airlines, operating on domestic routes and to the national parks, are Auric Air, Coastal and Regional Air.
