Flydubai, Etihad to fly to Dar

Air Uganda had completely shut down operations. PHOTO | FILE 

 

By HELLEN NACHILONGO, TEA Special Correspondent

In Summary

• On its part, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its global route network with a daily service to Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015

Middle East carriers Flydubai and Etihad Airways have announced plans to start flying to Dar es Salaam, taking advantage of the limited number of global carriers on that route.

According to Flydubai’s senior press officer Houda Al Kaissi, the airline is eyeing the Tanzanian market in order to “expand business because the country does not have enough international airlines that land there frequently.”

“The introduction of new routes to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro will boost business efficiency and cause Tanzania to compete better with other countries,” she said.

Currently, some 30 international airlines land at the Julius Nyerere International Airport daily. 

Flydubai will begin flying to Tanzania in October, expanding the airline’s network in Africa to 12 destinations.

The airline’s chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith, said that with the addition of the three destinations in Tanzania, Flydubai will double its network in North and East Africa this year, strengthening its commitment to serving previously underserved markets.

New routes

Flydubai recently announced the launch of flights to Bujumbura, Entebbe and Kigali which are expected to start by the end of September.

On its part, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its global route network with a daily service to Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015.

The Abu Dhabi - Dar es Salaam flight will be via an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration — 16 seats in business class and 120 in economy class.

The airline plans to start a daily service to Dar es Salaam from December 2015. Dar es Salaam will become Etihad Airways’ 11th destination on the continent, and the fourth in East Africa.

According to Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan, seven new routes were introduced this year and three more will follow by December.

“The development of Etihad Airways’ network will be accelerated in 2015, supporting a long-term vision to position Abu Dhabi as a leading international travel hub, with extensive connections across the globe,” said Mr Hogan.

According to the Tanzania Aviation Authority, aircraft movements at JNIA increased by 2.1 per cent in 2013 from 2012. Domestic flights account for 75 per cent of total movements at the airport, international flights take up 22 per cent and freighters 3 per cent.