Precision Air gets new CEO

SAUDA RAJAB APPOINTED NEW CEO AT PRECISION AIR

When long serving CEO Alfonse Kioko retires from Precision Air at the end of February, he will be able to look back at a success story Tanzanian aviation has never seen before, taking Precision from a relatively small domestic airline to the lofty heights of a major player in the region, and strong partners with African giant Kenya Airways.

Unprecedented at the time, during his reign at the helm Precision Air bought brand new aircraft from French manufacturer ATR, now operating a fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft and more orders for brand new turboprops are pending delivery in 2013 and 2014.

Precision, like no other airline before in Tanzania, has opted to link secondary and tertiary municipalities and their aerodromes and airfields with the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, but also the lakeside city of Mwanza where the airline established a mini hub.

Flights to Nairobi, Entebbe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka and Johannesburg round up the picture, served with one of the three B737-300 aircraft the airline acquired in recent years.

New to the job but – with all due respect – an old hand in aviation, will be Sauda Rajab, who was selected in a lengthy process to succeed Alfonse Kioko and will take charge from the beginning of March at the Precision Air headoffice in Dar es Salaam. Serving in many positions at Kenya Airways over the past two decades, Rajab at one time was also country manager of Kenya Airways in Uganda, but served last as General Manager Cargo and distinguished herself with her results and performance.

The news broke yesterday and Rajab will be formally introduced to the management and staff of Precision Air in Dar es Salaam on Monday, after which the process of handover from Alfonse begins before she formally takes charge on March 01st.

Precision is now listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange but the two principal owners remain to be Kenya Airways with just over 41 percent and company founder Michael Shirima with just under 43 percent shares while the balance of approximately 16 percent of the shares are held by Tanzanians and institutional investors from Tanzania and across Eastern Africa.

Many thanks to Alfonse for years of excellent partnership and all the best in the future, wherever that will take him and a warm welcome to Sauda Rajab and of course success in all she does in coming months and years.

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