FLY DUBAI PERFORMS MAIDEN FLIGHTS TO TANZANIA
(Posted 23rd October 2014)
The long awaited flights to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar by low cost carrier flydubai were launched yesterday, connecting the United Arab Emirates with the Spice Island and Tanzania’s commercial capital, thought a major boost for the tourism industry on Zanzibar and for the mainland safari national parks.
Travellers from Tanzania in turn can now fly for just 399 US Dollars launch fare to the world’s glitz and glamour capital of Dubai for the next few weeks before fares will rise to 449 US Dollars.
Commenting on the start of flights to Tanzania did Mr. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, say: ‘The United Arab Emirates has recognised the immense potential in the emerging markets of East Africa, like Tanzania. We continue to work diligently to support the travel, trade and tourism objectives by strengthening the direct links between the UAE and these African markets’.
The flydubai delegation on the inaugural flight was led by Mr. Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), to participate in the inaugural events held at Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports yesterday, 22nd October. Among the senior government officials who met the inaugural flights were HE Janet Z. Mbene (MP), Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, HE Dr. Omary Mjenga, Consul General to the UAE and HE Samia Hassan Suluhu, Minister of State.
‘The pace of flydubai’s expansion in East Africa has picked up. Six of the 23 new routes we have launched this year are to Africa. The potential we see for this market is just the tip of the iceberg as it is still a heavily underserved region. We are very excited about our new flights to Tanzania, which are going to be very popular for our passengers whether for leisure or business’ commented Sreedharan.
Tanzania has emerged as a major trade partner for Dubai in recent times and is ranked among the major non-oil trade partners in Africa last year topping USD 1.86 billion in total annual trade, according to recent figures from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
flydubai is operating its new Boeing B737-800NG aircraft with a two class cabin layout of Business and Economy Class on its Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar routes, providing passengers between Tanzania and UAE with a more convenient, high-quality and reliable but most important low cost service with the option to connect onwards through Dubai’s aviation hub into the rest of the flydubai network.
Also new are the flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, again in conjunction with Dar es Salaam, which will provide for direct flights from the UAE to Arusha, the springboard city for the Northern safari circuit of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park, but also allowing immediate access to Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro where climbing expeditions start from the nearby town of Moshi.
