BUDGET 2017/18 SETS ASIDE DOWNPAYMENT FOR DREAMLINER NUMBER 2
(Posted 20th July 2017)
(Artist impression courtesy of Boeing)
News are coming out of Tanzania that the recently presented budget to the national parliament has apparently build in the down payment for a second Boeing B787 Dreamliner, which, if and when confirmed, would bring the order to two wide body jets.
While the presentation was made in Kiswahili, the full text shown below, has the following translation been obtained:
Original text:
Mheshimiwa Spika, ujio wa ndege hizo mbili aina ya Bombardier Dash 8 – Q400 pamoja na ile iliyokuwepo aina ya Dash 8 – Q300 umeiwezesha ATCL kutoa huduma za uhakika za usafiri wa anga katika maeneo ya Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Kigoma, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Bukoba, Mbeya, Dodoma, Zanzibar na Moroni (Comoro). Kwa kutumia ndege hizo tatu, ATCL inatarajia kupanua huduma zake katika maeneo ya Mtwara, Mpanda, Songea na Tabora kuanzia mwezi Juni 2017. Safari za nchi jirani za Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya), Bujumbura (Burundi) na Kigali (Rwanda) zitaanza baada ya kupata ndege ya tatu ya aina ya Bombardier Dash 8 – Q400 Julai 2017. Aidha, mara baada ya ndege aina ya Bombardier CS 300 kuwasili nchini, ATCL itaanza safari za kwenda Afrika ya Magharibi, Afrika ya Kati, Afrika ya Kusini, Mashariki ya Kati na India; na baadae kufanya safari za masafa marefu kwenda China, Ulaya, na Marekani baada ya ndege ya Boeing 787 kuwasili.
Mheshimiwa Spika, katika mwaka wa fedha 2017/2018, Kampuni ya Ndege (ATCL) imetengewa shilingi milioni 500,000 kwa ajili ya kukamilisha malipo ya ununuzi wa ndege 3 ambapo ndege mbili (2) ni za aina ya CS 300 zenye uwezo wa kubeba abiria 127 kila moja na ndege kubwa moja (1) ya masafa marefu aina ya Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner yenye uwezo wa kubeba abiria 262. Aidha, fedha hizo pia zitatumika kwa ajili ya gharama za bima, mafunzo (marubani, wahandisi na wahudumu), gharama za kuanzia (start up cost) pamoja na malipo ya awali ya ndege nyingine ya aina ya Boeing 787 (Dreamliner).
End original text
Start of Translation:
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the two Bombardier Dash 8 – Q400 aircraft with the existing Dash 8 – Q300 airline enabled ATCL to provide air transport services in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Kigoma, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Bukoba, Mbeya, Dodoma, Zanzibar and Moroni (Comoro). By using these three planes, ATCL intends expanding its services in the areas of Mtwara, Mpanda, Songea and Tabora from June 2017. Travels to Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya)Bujumbura (Burundi) and Kigali (Rwanda) Will start after getting a third Bombardier Dash type 8 – Q400 in July 2017. In addition, soon after the [first] Bombardier CS300 aircraft arrives in the country, ATCL will begin trips to West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa, East Central and India; And later travel long trips to China, Europe, and the US after Boeing 787 aircrafts arrive.
Mr. Speaker, during the fiscal year 2017/2018, the Airline Company (ATCL) has been awarded 500,000 Million Shillings for the completion of the 3-flight purchase payment of two aircraft (2) of CS 300 capable of carrying 127 passengers One and one (1) large-scale Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner range capable of carrying 262 passengers. In addition, the funds will also be used for insurance costs, training (pilots, engineers and staff), starting costs (Start up cost) with the original payment of the Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) flight.
End Translation
The announcement also sheds light on the plans for domestic, regional, continental and intercontinental expansion the airline is now eying after the top management and board were changed and substantive funds injected into the previously moribund carrier.
With other regional airlines now well established, such as RwandAir, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian will Air Tanzania no doubt face a competitive battle over the skies of East Africa while in Uganda, they probably need to wrap their heads around that coming last in such a game worth billions of US Dollars vis a vis the cost of state of the art airline fleets, and with no cash in sight, that ship has sailed.
