Air Tanzania takes delivery of Airbus A220
MSN 55047, the first Airbus A220-300 for Air Tanzania, has been delivered, making them the first airline in Africa to take on the type. The name The Wings of Kilimanjaro was given to the aircraft – a fitting name to complement their other aircraft.
A delivery ceremony was held at the Airbus/Bombardier assembly line in Montreal, Canada where speeches and presentations were viewed by guests and media. Additionally, officials from the United Republic of Tanzania Government were there to spectate.
Tito Kasambala, Acting CEO, Tanzanian Government Flight Agency, reflected on the event in the following statement:
“The A220s unrivaled passenger comfort combined with its remarkable performance and economics will be an excellent asset to further develop Air Tanzania’s network.”
Air Tanzania plans to use the aircraft on domestic and regional routes from Dar es Salaam and will investigate additional routes when the time is appropriate. Key destinations on the planning board are locations in the Middle East and India.
This delivery makes the airline the fifth airline in the world to operate the Airbus A220, after Asia, Europe and recently America.
With its two Pratt and Whitney Geared Turbofan engines, the A220 offers airlines up to 20% lower fuel burn depending on their configuration as well as a range of up to 3,200 nautical miles (5020km).
Fleet wise, this is the first of two on order by the airline and will complement the single Boeing 787 Dreamliner recently acquired. For smaller routes, three Bombardier Q400s and a single Q300 are in place.
