Air Tanzania has indefinitely suspended all its flights to Johannesburg, after 4 months of being relaunched.
The managing director of Air Tanzania Mr Matindi informed agents, that all tickets sold for the Dar-JNB-Dar route should be refunded as the route is suspended until further notice. Furthermore, he stated all tickets for the Dar-JNB-Dar route already sold should be refunded if they have not been used.
He directed all questions regarding the route suspension to the Works, transport and Communications Minister Isaack Kamwelwe.
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The minister had previously hinted the suspension in a statement saying it was necessary for security reasons. An Airbus A220 had been released from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport when the statement was made.
The Airbus was held for weeks by a South African court over a private individual’s debt claims against the government of Tanzania. Also, at the time the aeroplane was held, South Africa was also at the time going through a period of exacerbated xenophobic attacks on foreigners living and working in the country.
Other plans for Air Tanzania
Mr Matindi also said:
“Air Tanzania is finalising plans to fly the Far East routes to China and Thailand by year-end.”
Furthermore, he stated that the Airline’s grand expansion strategy will also include the launch of regular flights to Lubumbashi, Lilongwe, Lagos, Accra and London.
The national carrier is making these potential routes a priority so as to firstly promote tourism. In addition to competing with other established airlines in the aviation industry.
With the eight new planes have been purchased in the past three years, six having been delivered and two more sets for delivery by 2021.
Air Tanzania had only one working plane before President John Magufuli launched the revival plan in 2016.