Air Tanzania making rapid inroads into African cargo market

January 25, 2024 in Business, Companies, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Michael Wakabi

Six months after taking delivery of its first dedicated freighter, Air Tanzania is quickly establishing itself in the African cargo market, picking momentum on the Africa-India route. On January 23, the freighter delivered a 49-ton cargo consignment of pharmaceutical products from Mumbai to Entebbe.

It was the second such delivery by ATC to Entebbe, following a December 2023 trip, during which 40 tonnes of general cargo, also from Mumbai, were unloaded.

Khalfan Lugendo, Air Tanzania’s representative in Uganda, says that there has been a marked increase in demand for cargo transportation between Mumbai and Uganda and because of its capacity, Air Tanzania’s 767 has become a preferred air lifter.

“From the loading destination of origin to Entebbe, we have handled this cargo as required to ensure pharmaceuticals products are delivered safely and securely. With the modern facilities in this aircraft, Air Tanzania is ready to boost the Ugandan economy through handling large volumes of cargo driven by demand”, said Khalfan.

Air Tanzania took delivery of its 767-300F on June 3, 2023, marking the first time an African airline was buying a mint new example of the type from the manufacturer. The freighter has the capacity to carry a maximum of 52 tons over a distance of 6,028 kilometres.

“We are thrilled to bring our state-of-the-art Boeing 767-300F to Uganda, offering the best and most competitive rates among all cargo operators in the region. Our aircraft is equipped to transport all types of goods and we encourage the business community in Uganda to take advantage of reliable, efficient, and cost-effective transportation solutions,” Khalfan added.

With a fleet of 11 aircraft including a pair of B787-800 Dreamliners and three Airbus A220’s, Air Tanzania has been operating passenger services to Entebbe for the past six years. The service operates four times a week, alternating between the A220 and now, Air Tanzania operates passenger flights to and from Entebbe, serving the destination four times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The carrier also operates passenger flights between Dar es Salaam and Mumbai using an A220. But with its limited belly capacity the dedicated freighter has added a new dynamic of a point-to-point service to Uganda, adding convenience for manufacturers and traders.

Besides Uganda, Air Tanzania is offering cargo charter services to various destinations in Africa and beyond, including Nairobi, Bujumbura, Kinshasa, Bangui, Lusaka, Antananarivo, Mumbai, Dubai, Sharjah and Ouagadougou.

With a 100,000-ton cargo warehouse, Entebbe is also emerging as a cargo hub while Air Tanzania also recently secured 5^th Freedom rights between Jomo Kenyatta, Africa’s largest cargo hub and third countries.