Tanzania’s national courier, Air Tanzania, has landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, after a 20-plus year hiatus. The airline will now make daily flights to and from Nairobi.
The arrival of the ultra-modern Airbus A220-300 marks the start of the carrier’s double-daily Dar es Salaam to Nairobi route, in line with its network expansion plans in Africa.
The return of this route has been prompted by improved bilateral relations, increased trade between the two countries, inter-governmental relations, tourism and extension of friendly ties.
Air Tanzania will fly the Airbus A220-300, a 132-seater with 12 business class seats and 120 economy class seats that is renowned for unrivaled comfort levels for aircraft in its category.
The airline will depart Dar-es-Salaam at 5:30 a.m. to arrive in Nairobi at 6:45 a.m. and depart Nairobi at 7:45 a.m. to arrive in Dar at 9 a.m.. Tickets will cost Ksh. 37,525 ($334) for a round trip and roughly Ksh. 23,594 ($210) for one way travel on the new Dar-Nairobi route.
Evening flights will depart Julius Nyerere International Airport at 8 p.m. and arrive in Nairobi at 9:15 p.m., and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 10:15p.m. to arrive in Tanzania at 11:30 p.m.
Other than Nairobi, Air Tanzania has announced three new regional routes in November. These include Dar es Salaam to Bujumbura (Burundi), Ndola (Zambia), and Lubumbashi (DR Congo) as the country seeks to expand passenger services to new markets in Africa, Asia, and Europe as international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease. Mumbai (India), Hahaya (Comoros), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Entebbe (Uganda), and Guangzhou (China) are among the destinations served by Air Tanzania.
The airline will add Johannesburg (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), and London (United Kingdom) to its destinations in the coming months.
Commenting on the return of Air Tanzania flights to Kenya, Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, the Managing Director and CEO of Air Tanzania stated, “We are extremely delighted to resume Nairobi route, which is one of the most significant destinations in East Africa and a key aviation hub as well. We at Air Tanzania are looking forward to bolstering the relations between Tanzania and Kenya, who have been trusted friends and sincere partners for decades, with this non-stop air service.”