Tanzania Airline has again started its flights three times a week from Dar-Es-Salaam to Bujumbura since this Sunday 14 December 2013 and vice-versa.–Lorraine Josiane Manishatse
Air Tanzania plane working now in Burundi.©Iwacu
Air Tanzania Company is now working in Burundi; the launching ceremonies have been held at Bujumbura this Sunday 14 December 2013.The Air Tanzania plane has flown on the same day from Bujumbura to Dar-Es-Salaam with only three Burundian passengers.
According to Stanley Mariki, the Manager of Air Tanzania at Kigoma now in Charge of Burundi Operations, the new company has started working in Burundi because they want to strengthen good relations between both countries. It is also the manner to facilitate citizens from both countries to travel directly without going through Nairobi. “It was very difficult and expensive to move from Bujumbura to Dar-Es-Salaam and vice versa. People used to go through Nairobi because of the lack of airplane which flies from Bujumbura to Dar-Es-Salaam and back directly,” says Mariki. He indicates that there are three flights a week, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The single ticket from Burundi to Dar-Es-Salaam costs $392.
It is an advantage for all EAC citizens
Mariki states that the new Airline Company will motivate people from EAC in general to travel inside EAC countries because transport is now easy. “It will also be a good opportunity to visit Kilimanjaro and other Tanzanian touristic places,” he adds. For Bélyse Ninziza, a Burundian who often goes to Tanzania by airplane, Air Tanzania is an advantage for both Burundians and Tanzanians because travelling fees will considerably decrease. “From Burundi to Tanzania we used to take Kenya Airways airplanes that brought us to Nairobi. While arriving in Tanzania we took a second airplane from Nairobi to Dar-Es-Salaam. It is worth knowing that the price varies according to seasons but we often pay about 490$. Thanks to Air Tanzania, the price has decreased and we will also gain time because we will travel immediately without that transit at Nairobi,” she praises. Jérémie Ngendakumana, a Burundian Member of EAC Legislative Assembly states that Air Tanzania in Burundi is an advantage for Burundians and Tanzanians as customers will no longer pay more money during their travel. “Suppose that going from Bujumbura to Dar-Es-Salam is about one hour, when you pass through Nairobi to arrive there you waste a lot of hours in transit. But with Air Tanzania, the travel can’t exceed more than two hours,” he explains. The problem of communication is the only challenge for the new Airline Company’s good function.
“As Burundians and Tanzanians speak French and English respectively, the communication will be a little bit difficult at the beginning but we hope that after a period of time we will reach to understand each other very well,” concludes Mariki.
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