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Air Tanzania prepares to return to Lubumbashi in DRC after 23 years of absence Air Tanzania prepares to return to Lubumbashi in DRC after 23 years of absence

Air Tanzania has traffic rights to thirteen countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) including the DRC, in accordance with procedures approved by the Sadc Aviation Safety Organization (SASO). Already present in 3 member countries (Comoros, Zambia, Zimbabwe), the Tanzanian national airline wants to continue its expansion slowed down since last year by the health crisis.

The return of Air Tanzania to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could happen by next month. This is at least the wish expressed by the company's management. On July 12, it submitted an application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Kinshasa to obtain regulatory authorizations in accordance with the bilateral agreement on air transport between the DRC and Tanzania.

According to the said application, a copy of which was received by NewsAero, the company plans to resume services to the city of Lubumbashi in the south-east of the country, starting from September 16. The carrier plans three flights per week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) on the Dar Es Salaam - Ndola (Zambia) - Lubumbashi route.

Flight TC213 will leave Dar Es Salaam at 10.40am and arrive in Ndola at 12pm before continuing to Lubumbashi where it is expected at 1.35pm. In the opposite direction, the flight will leave Congolese soil at 14:25 and land in Tanzania at 17:45. The aircraft to be lined up on this corridor will depend on market demand, the company says. Air Tanzania operates an active fleet of nine aircraft including two 787-8s, two A220-300s and five Dash8-400s.

So far, bookings are not yet open on its online website. But if the service is confirmed on schedule, Air Tanzania will meet another newcomer. RwandAir plans to connect Lubumbashi from 15 September with two rotations per week. In addition to Kinshasa which it already connects, the Rwandan company has also scheduled the launch of its new route to Goma from October 4.

Air Tanzania last flew to Lubumbashi on a regular basis in 1998 shortly before the outbreak of the second Congo war. In 2012, its compatriot Precision Air also connected the mining city from Dar Es Salaam with a stopover in Lusaka in Zambia.  As the main hub of the Congolese deep south, Luano-Lubumbashi International Airport is one of the busiest in the country. The domestic airlines Congo Airways and flyCAA operate there, alongside other international carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and South Africa's Airlink. There are also cargo operators.


Source: newsaero