Tanzania wants to make Dodoma, Arusha and three other airports operate 24/7
In March this year, Mussa Mbura was appointed Director General of the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA). In an interview with the Tanzanian website The Citizen on Tuesday 19 July 2022, the newcomer outlined the priorities of his tenure.
Currently, only three of the 58 hubs managed by the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) operate 24/7. These are the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar-Es-Salam, and those of Mwanza and Tabora. The other 53 airports operate only during the day (12 hours a day), due to the lack of equipment required for night operations. This is an anomaly that the new DG of the TAA wants to correct.
"This is a handicap for airlines, airports and travellers. When you limit airline operations to only 12 hours, you under-use aircraft and lose revenue. It also means that airports lose revenue that they could get if they operated 24/7 (parking and landing fees, security and passenger services)," says Mussa Mbura.
He promises to start his remedial action with Dodoma, Songwe, Songea Arusha, Mtwara, Iringa and Tanga hubs. "We are in the final stages before Dodoma and Songwe start operating 24 hours a day," he says. He also plans to increase security around and at the airports by fencing and installing surveillance devices.
To find the funds needed to carry out his projects, the head of the state-owned company plans to automate revenue collection and to develop extra-aviation activities at the airports in collaboration with private partners. In the financial year 2020/2021, TAA achieved a turnover of 71.42 billion shillings (30.7 million dollars), of which 55.4% came from aeronautical sources against 44.6% for non-aeronautical revenues.
