KIGOMA ROUTE RESERVED FOR AIR TANZANIA AS FASTJET IS SHAFTED A SECOND TIME
(Posted 31st May 2018)
Sources close to the Tanzanian aviation regulators, clearly in disagreement with their organization’s modus operandi, have revealed an alarming trend taking root when it comes to dealing with privately owned airlines.
‘We are given to understand that we must protect Air Tanzania at all cost because government is investing huge money after buying several new aircraft. Initially everyone seemed ok with Fastjet flying to Kigoma but this has completely changed now. They are now even being targeted over their plans to bring a turboprop aircraft into the country and our seniors have schemed up a way to have them drop their description as a low cost airline. This is all happening as a result of orders from above all of which have only one objective which is to give Air Tanzania a big advantage in every area of operation. But it is not right which is why we are telling you‘ said a Dar es Salaam based source using intermediaries to pass on the message for fear of being found out and punished.
In January did Fastjet for the first time, probably prematurely given the absence of a suitable aircraft, advertise Kigoma but had to drop marketing the route inspite of significant advance bookings while waiting for an ATR72-600 aircraft to arrive.
It is understood that an application to add this aircraft type to the airline’s AOC has been made, but similar to their introduction of the Embraer E190 have aviation regulators given the airline a hard time.
Earlier this week did the drop down menu of destinations reachable from Dar es Salaam again show Kigoma but within two days were all flights listed as ‘Sold Out‘, an indicator for aviation buffs that the sale of tickets has been disabled by Fastjet.
Links to related articles are available below:
https://atcnews.org/2018/01/29/fastjet-opens-kigoma-bookings/
https://atcnews.org/2018/02/06/fastjet-pulls-kigoma-flight-bookings-from-system/
https://atcnews.org/2018/05/28/fastjet-on-course-for-kigoma-flights/
