Tanzania – Gateway to East Africa

Tanzania makes the vital organ in the body of East Africa, it is the heart that pumps and controls the flow of traffic to the neighbouring courtiers through its centuries-old harbour. The country neighbours some of the world’s most travelled destinations.  Towards its north, is Kenya and Uganda. Kenya Airways offers direct flights to Nairobi while Flights to Kampala is also offered by a few regional airlines. Towards its West are located Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The other three neighbours of Tanzania are also extremely important tourist destinations, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Here, let’s remember that there are hardly any cheap flights to Zambia available most of the time and flights through Tanzania can make a big difference.

The eastern border of Tanzania is rimming the coastal line of Indian Ocean. This is the location of Tanzania’s most frequently travelled city, Dar es Salaam that is the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de-facto seat of most government institutions. Dar es Salaam remained the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours, most of them still depend on flights to Dar es Salaam and connections to their own countries. Geographically, Tanzania is the key to unlock the bunch of ‘landlocked countries’ surrounding it.

Very recently, the country has started attracting multiple interests expressed by airlines of International repute willing to service flights to Tanzania and connect the country with Europe and around the world destinations. Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) provided information that the demand for air service licenses, compared with 2009, has risen by more than a third in the recent past. Although some of these requests are made for renewal of existing licenses yet, a large number (almost half or more) of the applications sent to the Tanzania Civil Aviation licensing committee are from new applicants.

Getting License for Air Services in Tanzania largely depends on whether or not the applicants are able to propose to use new state-of-the-art equipment and make a proper presentation about their planned maintenance.

Another East African country, Kenya, is also experiencing a boom in its aviation sector, where the flow of the new application is so huge that KCAA has to hold quarterly licensing hearings due to interest by investors and air operators from outside Kenya to establish a base there. Kenya’s national carrier Kenya Airways offers direct flights to Nairobi and also is reckoned ‘number one‘ Africa Airline from East Africa.

East African Community can revive the golden days of Africa and play a major part in enhancing national revenue through tourism, perhaps the Golden Age of Air Travel has just started in Eastern Africa.