Flights
between Abu Dhabi and Dar es Salaam, which commence on 1 December 2015, will be
operated using Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 Business Class and 120 Economy Class
seats. Dar es Salaam will be Etihad Airways 110th destination globally,
and its 11th destination in Africa and the Indian Ocean. The daily schedule will
offer two-way connectivity over Etihad Airways hub in Abu Dhabi, with convenient
onward connections to 45 popular destinations across the Middle East, Europe,
the Indian Subcontinent, North and Southeast Asia, and Australasia. In particular,
it is anticipated that the demand for the new route will be boosted by strong
flows of business and leisure travellers, as well as cargo volumes, between the
East Africa region and the Indian Subcontinent and China. James Hogan, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said Sep 22: Dar es Salaam
is an important new route on Etihad Airways global network. It builds upon
our existing presence in Africa, and supports the close trading relationship between
the United Arab Emirates and Tanzania. The UAE is the primary trade
partner of Tanzania in the GCC region. Between 2007 and 2012, trade between UAE
and Tanzania increased by more than 350 per cent to US$761 million. Africa
has one of the worlds fastest growing regional economies, and the launch
of this new route also enhances access and the two-way flow of trade and tourism
between the continent and key destinations across our global network, supports
inbound tourism, encourages investment, and provides much needed local employment,
he added. Tanzania has the sixth largest population in Africa (51 million),
with over four million people living in the largest city, Dar es Salaam. The large
proportion of the community consist of market traders and proprietors of small
businesses whose families originated from the Middle East and Indian Subcontinentareas
of the world with which the settlements of the Tanzanian coast have had long-standing
trading relations. The country is also developing quickly, and currently
has around US$19 billion in transport and utilities infrastructure projects being
planned. China is playing a key role in financing these major projects, and is
fast becoming the East African countrys leading trade partner, with trade
between the two countries growing to US$3.7 billion in 2013. In 2013, Tanzania
was also named one of the worlds most sought after destinations for leisure
travellers, and is blessed with numerous national and international tourist attractions
including Mt. Kilimanjaro, the wildlife-rich national parks of the Serengeti,
and the spice island of Zanzibar. Tanzania has the second largest economy
in East Africa, and Dar es Salaam provides a strategic gateway for the transportation
of goods and commerce to the surrounding six land-locked countries of Zambia,
Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. About
Etihad Airways Etihad Airways began operations in 2003 and in 2013 carried
11.5 million passengers. From its Abu Dhabi base Etihad Airways flies to 110 existing
or announced passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe,
Asia, Australia and the Americas. The airline has a fleet of 104 Airbus and Boeing
aircraft, and more than 200 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787s,
25 Boeing 777-X, 62 Airbus A350s and 10 Airbus A380s. Etihad Airways holds equity
investments in airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia, Aer Lingus, Air Serbia
and Jet Airways, and is in the process of formalising equity investments in Alitalia
and Swiss-based Etihad Regional*. |