Dar es Salaam-based operator Tanzanair has taken delivery of a new-build Caravan EX which will replace an ageing Caravan that it has flown for more than ten years. Says MD John Samaras: “We have been operating two C208Bs since 2003. In January 2015 we decided to upgrade to the newer C208B EX. The older C208B was sold and flown by our operations manager to Germany, where it was delivered to a company involved in sky jumping. Our latest EX arrived in August and the decision to upgrade was taken in order to increase the appeal to our corporate clientele.”

He says that performance has been 'excellent', while additional equipment such as synthetic vision and a radar altimeter has been installed, making the aircraft compliant with local legislation concerning nighttime operations. He also speaks of a further acquisition, approximately six months after the other old C208B is sold.

Tanzanair engages in charter flights for mining and tobacco companies, oil and gas producers, and governments, along with other foreign missions and VIP flights. In addition to the synthetic vision and Garmin 1000 avionics, the Caravan EX is equipped with a more powerful engine than its predecessor.

“We must contend with remote, unprepared and unpaved airfields at high altitude that are being used by major corporations that require newer aircraft with a good payload,” Samaras continues. “These airstrips cannot be used by multi-engine turboprops with retractable gear, and the C208EX offers the requisite performance.

“There are poor navigation aids in most parts of the country, a lack of local experienced flight crew with required ratings, not to mention a shortage of experienced engineers. We are therefore heavily dependent on expatriate staff and cheap financing for aircraft. It is a heavily taxed industry.”

Subject to a stable political climate, he expects the economy to boom as a result of energy and mining exploration. “We are ideally placed to cement our dominance in the charter and corporate market, as well as increase our AMO capabilities.”