Aviation Tanzania

THE national flag carrier, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), has announced plans to lay-off an estimated 200 employees as part of its efforts to revamp the struggling airline.
The redundancy, which will affect 90 per cent of the airline’s employees, is aimed at implementing President John Magufuli’s directive to the new management to boost efficiency and send home all ineffective workers.

 ATCL director general Eng Ladislaus Matindi told The Guardian yesterday they are in the process of suspending workers who can’t cope with current working speed.
 “We have a good number of employees but only a few are efficient enough… we are filtering them so we can remain with the best personnel only,” Eng Matindi said. He said the company currently has a total of 221 employees, which is too big for them to handle. Eng Matindi cited some of the criteria to be used in laying off employees as working experience, academic qualifications, and customer care aptitude.  He said the exercise will touch each…

RwandAir has acquired Africa's first Boeing 737-800 Next Generation that the national flag carrier hopes will boost its capacity and competitiveness around the globe.The brand new aircraft, given the local monicker 'Kalisimbi,' touched down at Kigali International Airport at 4pm, yesterday.RwandAir becomes the first airline in Africa and second globally to acquire a Boeing 737-800NG equipped with in-flight connectivity on a line-fit programme, including WiFi.The 154-seater aircraft is a dual- class cabin configuration and identical to the two Boeing 737-800NG with the first Boeing Sky Interior in Africa purchased six years ago.The brand new aircraft is expected to facilitate the airline's expansion drive.Toward expansionThe 737 delivers the superior reliability, fuel efficiency and high-value returns operators require in competitive market.The aircraft's exceptional versatility and lower maintenance and operating costs provide a competitive edge regardless of busin…

The government announced yesterday that plans are underway to acquire 4 planes to be added to ATCLs fleet which at the moment comprises of 3 aircraft. The new planes include one bombardier Dash8 Q400, two bombardier CS 300 and one Boeing 737NG. President John Magufuli said this during his first address to members of the press. He added that negotiations with the manufacturer are going on and further talks are set to take place this month.“We have allocated 10 million US dollars (21.80bn/) as advance payment for a new Boeing,” Dr Magufuli said.The plan, according to the president, is designed to transform the nation’s infrastructure and to spur development through industries and tourism. According to President Magufuli, Tanzania is not performing well in the tourism industry.He went on detailing that the government’s plan to shift its administration capital to Dodoma will also open up new tourism attraction sites.As strategy, he said his administration is embarking on reviving all regi…