Tanzania makes a great stride towards achieving Aviation Industry milestone as of today on March 26th, 2023, Saudi Arabian Airlines' Airbus A320 landed for the first time in Tanzania at Julius Nyerere International Airport. The four-hour flight from Jeddah to Dar es Salaam marked the start of four weekly flights between the two countries, cutting the previous 10-hour travel time for passengers who had to connect through other destinations like Addis Ababa and Doha.
During the official flight launching ceremony, the Minister for Works and Transport, Hon. Prof. Makame Mbarawa, welcomed the inaugural flight, saying it marks a departure from the 10-hour journey between the two countries via connecting planes. The flight, handled by Swissport Tanzania, carried 61 passengers from Dar es Salaam to Jeddah, while the Airbus A320 arrived in Dar es Salaam at 6 am with eight passengers aboard.
Minister Mbarawa also noted that the direct flights between the two destinations will increase the number of international travelers to Tanzania, citing data from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority that shows a 55% increase in international travelers in 2022 compared to 2021, with the number of travelers rising from 1.694 million to 2.618 million. Most of the travelers between the two countries are tourists and business people.
Saudi Arabian Airlines is a major airline in the world and a partner of the Sky Team Aviation team. The airline operates scheduled international flights to over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. In Africa, Tanzania is one of 14 countries where the airline will operate direct flights, starting with Julius Nyerere International Airport. The flight from Dar es Salaam to Jeddah will now take around four hours with the airplanes having a capacity to carry over 180 passengers.
Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) Director General, Mr. Mussa Mbura, confirmed that the airline will be flying between JNIA and King Abdulaziz International Airport four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The launch of the direct flights is expected to boost Tanzania's tourism and business sectors.