ATCL,Acting Chief Executive Officer, Paul Chizi

Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), which resumed its services last week, has registered a huge increase in the numbers of passengers, thanks to patriotism and trust shown by the public, the company’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Paul Chizi, has said.

Chizi said in a press statement issued yesterday that the once limping airline will be able to assume its position as a leader in the country’s aviation business with the positive support it has been getting from members of the public.

He said the company’s Boeing 737-500 plane that has now flies the Dar es Salaam-Kilimanjaro-Mwanza route twice daily has been booked fully in the past three days which is a positive sign for the company.

“Our 108-seater plane has been booked to full capacity on both routes which is a sign that the public still has confidence in its services. I did not know that we would be able to pick up so fast since there are other service providers on that very route,” he said.

“We are now focused on providing timely and affordable services. I call upon the public to continue with the patriotism they have shown for the benefit of the company and our country at large,” he said.

Chizi said the company’s plans of acquiring another plane that will embark on international flights within the next three to six weeks are going on smoothly, adding that the airline will communicate with the public when the right time comes.

“Since our plan is to start international flights, definitely the plane has to be bigger,” he added.

He said his company is now focused on implementing its five year development plan that will help increase the airline’s efficiency and service delivery.

“We are focused to increase service delivery as well as winning our lost glory. We will be acquiring another Boeing plane and negotiations have already begun,” he said.

ATCL’s resumption of services has created price wars within the country’s growing aviation industry that has seen other flight carriers, which include Precision Air slash fares in recent days to match with ATCL’s 199,000/- offer for a return ticket on the route.