PRECISION AIR ADDS MORE FLIGHTS TO SONGWE
(Posted 11th June 2013)
Unperturbed by news yesterday over financial issues has Precision Air just announced that they will up their present daily flights from Dar es Salaam to Songwe airport to 10 frequencies per week, using, depending on load either their ATR 42 or ATR 72 aircraft for the service.
Flights to Mbeya only commenced in January this year, initially four times a week, but were as a result of sharply rising demand soon raised to daily operations. The addition of a further 3 flights a week is according to a source close to the airline only the precursor for eventually going double daily. ‘Precision Air is the airline of choice for most Tanzanians when they want to fly to places beyond Dar or Kilimanjaro or Mwanza. The fleet of Precision allows them to serve those very important secondary airports across the country. They provide a vital service for Tanzanians who need to fly to such places like Mbeya, or Mtwara, Kigoma, Musoma or Bukoba. They also fly scheduled services to the Arusha municipal airfield, where jets cannot land but from where a lot of people prefer to fly because it is nearer for them than Kilimanjaro. Mtwara for instance is now served double daily already and the way things are going with gas exploration and the building of infrastructure, it is a matter of time before more flights are added’.
Meanwhile was it learned too that the Tanzania Airports Authority continues to search for a partner to establish an aviation fuel depot at Songwe airport, as airlines presently have to carry enough fuel for their return flights out of Songwe. This restricts the number of passengers and cargo which can be uplifted. It is understood that for instance the number of passengers carried on an ATR 72 aircraft is limited to 50 only at present, which has an impact on the fares airlines have to charge to recover that added cost. Tanzania has over the past several years rolled out a major investment programme to upgrade aviation infrastructure, from air traffic control to airport developments, not just restricted to the main airports in Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro but with special emphasis on secondary airports, aerodromes and airfields across the entire country. Watch this space for regular and breaking news from East Africa’s vibrant aviation sector.
