Precision Air launches flights to Pemba

MOHAMED MAMBO

SOUTH Pemba Regional Commissioner, Ms Mwanajuma Majid Abdallah (in hijab), cuts a ribbon to launch Precision Air flights to Pemba island in Zanzibar yesterday. From left is Station Manager, Abdallah Mawazo, Director of Ground Handling, Christine Cyprian and Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Azda Nkullo. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

 

PRECISION Air launched flights to Pemba Island yesterday to tap into the potential of the island rich in tourist attractions.

The airline’s state-of-the-art ATR72-500 aircraft touched down at the Pemba Airport in the early hours of morning and was received with an elegant reception held to mark the launch of three flights a week service from Dar es Salaam via Unguja.

Precision Air will be flying to the exotic island, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday departing from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. The flights have been launched after the Zanzibar Airport Authority (ZAA) upgraded Pemba Airport to a category four status that meets the international standards required for commercial flight operations.

Addressing the guests, Precision Air Director of Ground Handling, Christine Cyprian, said the new launched route would promote more business and leisure traffic to Tanzania, a destination renowned for its scuba diving around Pemba Island, the untouched coral reefs surrounding the entire island that makes the island one of the top dive sites in the world.

She called on the Zanzibar government and other authorities to consider reducing or removing some charges including landing charges that is more than 200,000/- per landing saying that is too high for the route.

We have decided to start flying to Pemba after realizing that the island is a tourist destination with some of the cleanest beaches in the country -- but is not yet fully tapped,” she said. She also asked the government to open up Pemba to the World through tourism and attract more competitors on ground handling services sector for economic growth of the island of which the airline industry will grow.

The function attracted various guests from the travel trade, private sector, business community, students and government, who were treated to the warm hospitality of the airline with local traditional dances using ingredients from the Clove island.

Speaking on the launch, the South Pemba Regional Commissioner, Ms Mwanajuma Majid Abdallah hailed the airline management for launching flights to Pemba which will enhance passenger movement between Pemba, Unguja and the Tanzania Mainland.

She said the flights would play a big role in boosting business connections between the three areas. “We are very excited about this new route, we warmly welcome you,” she said.