Dar-Dodoma flight fares ‘too high’

SYLIVESTER DOMASA in Dodoma

THE national air transport facilitation committee has tentatively awarded licenses to two more airlines to operate the Dar es Salaam- Dodoma route in an apparent attempt to regulate airfares between the two destinations.

Currently the route is dominated by Flight Link and Air Tanzania, but travelers are concerned that the Dar es Salaam- Dodoma route is expensive -- a situation that prevents many people from patronizing air transport.

Speaking at the ongoing 42nd National Air Transport Facilitation meeting here, the committee Chairperson, Mr Daniel Malenga, said that there are more airlines that have been licensed to fly the route.

“There are two airlines which have already been licensed to operate on the route. We expect to approve additional airlines at the end of this month,” he said, without going into detail. The committee is meeting in Dodoma with the aviation industry which faces enormous challenges including thefts of Jet fuel.

The chairperson admitted the stark reality that the airfares for Dodoma, Bukoba and Mwanza destinations were relatively high. However, the committee is keen on ensuring that the approved airfares do not harm airline companies.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, Dr Leonard Chamuriho, urged the committee to come up with an alternative mechanism that will allow airports to have new sources of income apart from inflating airfares.

On the other hand, the government announced that is keen on improving infrastructure by building more modern facilities in a quest to cope with the current demand. “The government is committed to building modern infrastructure to allow service providers to offer their services more elaborately,” he said.

Tanzania was recently awarded Certificate of Outstanding Performance after achieving 60 percent implementation of (International Civil Aviation Organization) ICAO’s safety-related standards and recommended practices.

The achievements were a result of ongoing collaborative arrangement for the prevention and management of public health activities in civil aviation.

The two-day meeting brings on board representatives from Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, Tanzania Revenue Authority, Banks, Health authorities, Tanzania Aviation Authority and the Immigration Department.