Tanzanian airline eyes Moi Airport Mombasa

Nairobi; Kenya: Flightlink Air Charters, a Tanzania-based airline has announced plans to start flights between Dar es Salaam and Mombasa’s Moi International Airport (MIA) early next year.

In an interview with Weekend Business during the just concluded World Travel Market (WTM) in London, FlightLink CEO, Capt. Munawer Dhirani said they are keen to acquire the green light before starting the flights that will connect the two key Port cities.

“We are already in touch with the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) for BASA rights before we roll out the Mombasa flights from our commercial operating hub of Dar Es Salaam,’’ Capt Dhirani who was flanked by the Airline’s Commercial Director, Mr Ibrahim Bukenya, said. He said when launched, the airline will operate at least three times a week direct flights from Dar Es Salaam to Mombasa especially on Fridays, Sundays and Wednesdays.

Tourist hub

“We shall deploy our Embraer 120, 30 seater series for the Mombasa route,” he said. FlightLink is Tanzania’s first airline to operate an air ambulance with Jet Citation. It has an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) and Air Service Licence (ASL) and is annually audited for continued certification by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).

In 2011 and 2012, the airline was voted top mid sized company by KPMG, top audit firm. Its fleet includes Cessna Citation 560 ( 1), Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (1), Cessna Grand Caravan 208 B (4) and Cessna T20 C (2).

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Plans to acquire a second Embraer from its Brazilian supplier are in the pipeline with the anticipated delivery time either in January or February 2015. He said that they have concrete plans to help the Dar- Mombasa route grow and are also keen at helping to open up Mombasa tourist hub to the tourist attractions of the Serengeti through a faster and reliable air connectivity service. FlightLink which Capt Dhirani founded in 2003 initially as an air charter firm become an airline in 2010. He is himself an accomplished airline pilot having trained in both South Africa and the USA.

“Our ambition for growth is hinged on the fact that we have a larger East African Community (EAC) market to serve. We are keen to becoming the third airline in Tanzania after Precision Air and Air Tanzania respectively,’’ he said.