The delivery of Tanzania’s first ever cargo jet to Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has been moved up two months ahead of schedule to April instead of June, as was previously announced.
The plane which is a Boeing 767-300F, is one of four Boeing planes ordered in 2021 by the Tanzanian government for a total cost of $726 million.
The jet has a cargo capacity of 54 tonnes, and can carry this load for a distance of over 6,025 km. Already, the news about the new cargo jet has been received well by Tanzanians who import and export perishable goods, as it will now be easier for them to quickly convey the goods.
Such traders were initially forced to transport their goods through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, or airports in other neighbouring countries because ATCL did not have its own dedicated cargo jets.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagements meeting organised by ATCL on Monday, March 20, the general manager for TahaFresh Handling Limited, Amani Temu, stated that “the coming of a cargo plane is going to be a solution to exporters because it will save the extra costs producers, especially those producing flowers and plant materials incur when they use foreign airports.”
The managing director of ATCL, Ladislaus Matindi, revealed the carrier’s desire to increase the amount of cargo that ATCL could fly by year’s end. “On an annual basis as of 2021/22, we carried a total of 2,567 tonnes, which is a huge improvement, considering that five years ago we were only carrying 350 tonnes. Our aim to move 3,000 tonnes by the end of 2023.”
He added that that goal could be achieved, since cargo transport, which included general cargo, pets, medical equipment and parcels, among others had quickly become a major aspect of ATCL’s operations. “This is possible as potential business currently consists 49 percent transit cargo, 48 percent general cargo and three percent courier,” he said.
International destinations being considered for cargo transport include China, India, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Comoros, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since being revamped in October 2016, ATCL’s air fleet currently consists of 12 planes, three of which are grounded due to engine issues which have yet to be fixed. The damaged planes, include two Airbus A220 planes which have a passenger capacity between 120 and 160 passengers. ATCL has also expanded its flight network to 14 domestic, eight regional and two intercontinental destinations.
