Air Tanzania ditches Chinese firm and partners with Air Zimbabwe.

[Soap Box Cowboy]

Just read in the East African today that these two airlines are to get together in order to safe each other. Blind leading the blind? :}

Tanzanian goverment has said it will pump in 540 million dollars. Where the money will come from God only knows. :rolleyes:

List Air Tanzania's fleet as six aircraft. One Dash flying, one in the hanger waiting for spares, one 737 wrecked in Mwanza. Where are the others? :confused:

Apparent reason for ditching the Chinese is because of the long time it has taken to work out a deal, four years and still going. Apparently the Dash eights were a present from them to ATC.

Earlier reports said that the Chinese had ordered a number of Embraers in anticipation of starting ops.

Earlier reports seem to indicate that ATC's managment was worried about being kicked out so they started to undermine negotions. Sending out tenders when the Chinese deal was about to be sealed about a year ago and starting a local campain to ensure no foreigners would be allowed to manage ATC. :=

Since managment has done such a sterling job up to this point, even with a 1 million dollar a month subsidy :ugh:

Of interesting note both ATC and Air Zim will be looking for a strategic partner. "since they offer a bailout option"

The only thing of any real value these two airlines have are the routes which they would be allowed to operate. But in terms of aircraft, I hear most of Zim's MA-60's are grounded due to lack of spares. Both airlines have extremely dated 737-200's and Zim has their old 76's

Curious to see how all this will turn out. The future airline for the African Wanachi run by two historic "liberation struggle" nations.

Though only one seems to have moved with the times :E

[CathayBrat]

:ok::D:ugh::hmm:, sums it up really. Am sure it can only go wrong, hee hee.

[keitaidenwa]

Tanzanian goverment has said it will pump in 540 million dollars. Where the money will come from God only knows. :rolleyes:

I think that is the sum some people claim would be needed to save ATC, rather than something Tanzanian government has committed to or set aside for ATC. I believe the government will find a sum which is equal to the salary of senior management. Senior management will then continue their life doing nothing useful and next year claim their failure (again) was not their fault, since they didn't get adequate funding.

Guardian (tz one): Highly indebted ATCL in pathetic condition (http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=18438)

Air Tanzania’s performance for last year nosedived by 345 percent as the national carrier managed to transport only 60,018 passengers compared to 207,305 passengers in 2008. This, according to details revealed in Parliament, was far below the 583,000 passengers transported by the privately owned Precision Air in 2009. Precision Air transported more than half of local air passengers in 2009. But the ATCL could not even manage to transport 141,995 passengers. A task accomplished by another private carrier, Coastal Travel.
Even a Caravan operator beats the national airline..

Quotes from Zitto Kabwe in the same article are hilarious. This politician is either paid by Air Tanzania management or gullible. :ugh:

Their 737-200 is apparently sitting in Mwanza since ATCL didn't pay their insurances. Isn't that alone worth canceling their AOC? :oh:

[BadPony]

No wonder they call it the Dark Continent. There is definitely no light at the end of the tunnel with a partnership like that.

It's not a case of the blind leading the blind but more a case of Dumb and Dumber which was made clear in the article.

Just another one down the tubes!

[keitaidenwa]

Now it looks like Chinese company is back in and air zim is out.

The East African: - Business|Tanzania bows to Chinese investor over setting up new state airline (http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/-/2560/959506/-/3u68bsz/-/index.html)

Tanzania is to set up a new state airline to replace the ailing Air Tanzania Company, bowing to pressure from Chinese investors who are refusing to take over debts incurred by the airline over the past four decades.
...
Recently, it was reported that the government was considering abandoning the negotiations altogether and was in talks with Air Zimbabwe for a possible joint venture.

It now appears the Chinese temporarily pulled out of the discussion because some officials of ATCL solicited a 10 per cent bribe from Sonagol.

The investor wanted stern measure to be taken against the culprit but nothing so far has been done despite evidence being presented to the authorities.
...
The EastAfrican has been informed that Sonangol does not want to be associated with the debts ATCL accumulated over the years due to poor management, corruption and overstaffing.



This is just pathetic. The fat mama should be singing already. Just liquidate ATCL already. Want a new national airline? Easy, just ask Precision Air to paint the Tanzanian flag in the tail of their planes.