ATCL revival pace on track. . . Another Bombardier Q400 on its way to Dar, 3 others arriving soon

By DAILY NEWS Reporters

A NEW commercial aircraft that was expected to be delivered to the national carrier - Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) in July, last year, will now arrive in the country anytime this week, it has been confirmed.

Speaking to the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ yesterday, Director of Presidential Communications Gerson Msigwa said the plane - Bombardier Q400 turboprop - bought by Tanzania but not delivered has left Canada and was expected to land in the country anytime. According to Mr Msigwa, three other planes, including two- Bombardier CS 300 from Canada and one-Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from the United States of America (USA), will arrive later this year.
The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, Dr Leonard Chamuriho said the aircraft left the North American country yesterday at 2:30 pm (Canadian time). Asked to give details on its arrival time in the country, the PS said he was not in a position to divulge such information, as he was not aware of the route that the turboprop plane would take.
Dr Chamuriho said further information on the plane, including its arrival time may be provided today. However, ATCL Managing Director, Ladislaus Matindi said he was not aware of the plane’s arrival, asking to be given more time to find out about its details. Mr Matindi said news about the release of the eagerly awaited Bombardier Q400 was indeed welcomed, as it would significantly improve the performance of the fleet.
The 76 seater passenger aircraft would make the BombardierQ400 planes fleet rise to three, but the number of such model of aircrafts in the fleet is expected to reach six later this year. Currently, the available planes operate between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Kigoma, Kagera, Dodoma, Mbeya, Ruvuma, Mtwara, Zanzibar and Comoro routes. The purchase of the new aircrafts is an implementation of President John Magufuli’s promise to revive the national carrier that was on the verge of collapse.
Bombardier Q400s are planes capable of operating in difficult environmentWhen inaugurating the first two Bombardier Q400 planes at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in September 2016, Dr Magufuli said the planes were of good quality and that the government had made an advance payment of 40 per cent before finalising the payment later. The Head of State also promised to purchase a long range aircraft for intercontinental trips.
The Boeing 787- 7 Dreamliner came to be the number one choice. The then Acting Director of Tanzania Information Services, Ms Zamaradi Kawawa, told reporters last August in Dar es Salaam that the delays in the delivery of the plane resulted from a conflict masterminded by a few unpatriotic Tanzanians.
She said the lawyers who filed a case before attaching the government property had no legal locus standi to do so, but were pushed by a few local politicians who wished this country bad.