Air Tanzania Debuts Airbus A220-300 in Africa

Ockie

Ockie

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In a historic day both for African aviation and Airbus’ new product, Air Tanzania has flown its first A220 revenue flight. The route for this first flight, with designation TC110, was between Tanzania’s capital Dar-Es-Salaam and the city of Mwanza.

Air Tanzania is the first customer to operate an Airbus A220 in any of its variants in the African continent, and the fifth operator worldwide of the former Bombardier CSeries. The airline is set to receive a second A220-300 and two Bombardier Q400 Turboprops, after signing a $200-million deal in December 2016. “
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https://airlinegeeks.com/2019/01/07/air-tanzania-debuts-airbus-a220-300-in-africa/
 
Gordon_R

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Not long in service! Aircraft has been seized in SA: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49460873
South African authorities have seized a plane from Tanzania's national carrier, the Tanzanian government said.

The Airbus 220-300 was due to fly from Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday to Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.

It was not immediately clear why the action was taken, and South African authorities have not commented.

But a retired farmer has said the aircraft was impounded because Tanzania's government had not paid him $33m (£28.8m) it owes in compensation.

Lawyer Roger Wakefield told the BBC the money was awarded after Tanzania's government seized lands belonging to the South African farmer.

A Tanzanian government spokesperson told the BBC that the country's lawyers had arrived in South Africa to investigate.
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koffiejunkie

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Gordon_R said:
Not long in service! Aircraft has been seized in SA: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49460873
But a retired farmer has said the aircraft was impounded because Tanzania's government had not paid him $33m (£28.8m) it owes in compensation.
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WTH? Was this article Google translated? What farmer are they talking about?

For what it's worth, SAA was in a joint venture with Air Tanzania. Tanzanian government has a 51% stake in the airline and owns (not sure the percentage) the leasing company that actually owns the aircraft. You can see where this is going...

Air Tanzania owed SAA some money, and wasn't paying. Since we're effectively talking about governments here, the rest makes sense.

This isn't the first time Tanzania has found itself in this position. It had an aircraft impounded in Canada for similar reasons. It's also flying a 787 on 480km domestic run between Dar Es Salam and Arusha because apparently they can't afford for it to be impounded too.
 
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koffiejunkie

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ponder said:
A SA citizen that owned land & farmed in Tanzania.
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I re-read the article and I'm still confused. How does the farmer fit into this? The article only says that he claims the Tanzania government hasn't paid him
 
ponder

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koffiejunkie said:
I re-read the article and I'm still confused. How does the farmer fit into this? The article only says that he claims the Tanzania government hasn't paid him
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They own the plane or part of it, they owe him money for his land they expropriated. Not uncommen. You dont pay they seize your assets.

Hopefully the same happens to the SA gov when they take peoples property in the not to distant future.
 
Gordon_R

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koffiejunkie said:
I re-read the article and I'm still confused. How does the farmer fit into this? The article only says that he claims the Tanzania government hasn't paid him
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The BBC article is clearly incomplete, and the information available is not coherent (being a weekend the courts are closed). Other news sources report a different perspective, but the same basic facts: https://www.enca.com/news/tanzania-says-south-africa-impounded-airbus-plane
President John Magufuli has personally taken charge of the revival of loss-making state carrier Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), spending hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing eight new planes since 2016.

The airline's existing fleet, which is leased from the state-run Tanzania Government Flight Agency (TGFA), includes one Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, two Airbus A220-300 jets and three DHC Dash 8-400 aircraft, formerly known as the Bombardier Q400 turboprop.

Analysts have said Tanzania's planes had been put under the ownership of the TGFA to avoid possible confiscation of the planes from lawsuits related to Air Tanzania’s multi-million dollar debts from previous suppliers.

"I can confirm that the impounded plane is an Airbus. The government has more details on why the plane was seized," ATCL managing director Ladislaus Matindi told Reuters, confirming the aircraft was an Airbus 220-300.
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Update: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/...-tanzanian-plane-in-compensation-case-lawyer/
Roger Wakefield, of Werksmans Attorneys, said his client, an elderly farmer who asked not to be named, was owed $33 million, including interest, in compensation from the Tanzanian government after his land in the country was expropriated several decades ago. The farmer was subsequently awarded the compensation in an arbitration, he said. Wakefield said the only way Tanzania could secure the release of the plane was if it put up security or paid the debt.
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The plane was chosen because there is evidence it is owned directly by the Tanzanian government and its value is commensurate with the amount owed to the farmer, who was born in Namibia, he said. While the Tanzanian government has acknowledged it owes the farmer money, has previously made some payments and promised to pay the rest, it has not made a payment since around 2014, Wakefield said.
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koffiejunkie

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Aaah, thanks, that makes some sense. Yes, the BBC article reads like someone accidentally deleted a paragraph.
 
schumi

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Authorities fighting to free Air Tanzania plane impounded at OR Tambo Airport

Johannesburg - Tanzanian authorities are working to secure the release of an Air Tanzania aircraft which remains impounded at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg following the failure of the Tanzanian government to pay a farmer the full $33 million compensation he is owed after his farm was nationalised decades ago.


The aircraft was seized, following an order granted by the High Court in Johannesburg at the end of last week, after it landed in South Africa during a scheduled flight from Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam, the East African reported.


Lawyer Roger Wakefield of Werksmans Attorneys South Africa has refused to name his Namibian-born, Tanzanian farm owner client.


The privately-owned bean and seed farm, including equipment, 250 cars and 12 small planes, was seized by the Tanzanian authorities in the 1980s. The farmer was subsequently awarded $33 million in compensation in the 1990s.
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More at:
www.iol.co.za

Authorities fighting to free Air Tanzania plane impounded at OR Tambo Airport | IOL News

Tanzanian authorities are working to secure the release of an Air Tanzania aircraft which remains impounded at OR Tambo International Airport.
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za
 
Gordon_R

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MrGray

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Seems quite clear to me. Tanzania has owed some guy $33m since 2014, so their asset has been seized. I don't see why they need to do any "fighting" - seems like all they have to do is pay the money they owe.
 
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ponder said:
They actually seized his farm in the '80s, a court awarded him damages in the '90s, so it's been going on for almost 40 years!!!
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Yeah, that’s amazing - the latest court order was 2014, though.

I hope the guy gets his money. 40 years is a long time to wait for justice.
 
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Willie Trombone

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ponder said:
They actually seized his farm in the '80s, a court awarded him damages in the '90s, so it's been going on for almost 40 years!!!
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The mind boggles that the same government making noises about ewc and black empowerment steps in to assist a white farmer from Tanzania.
 
Gordon_R

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Another Air Tanzania aircraft seized on the same grounds, this time in Canada:
www.sowetanlive.co.za

Tanzanian anger as aircraft seized in Canada

The DHC Dash 8-400 aircraft, a turboprop also known as the Bombardier Q400 which seats up to 90 people, is the second to be seized in connection with case.
www.sowetanlive.co.za www.sowetanlive.co.za
 
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