Air Tanzania likely to resume services to India from Nov: Official

Air Tanzania is expected to resume services to India from November this year, a top official of the Tanzania Tourist Board has said.

Air India and Air Tanzania had direct flights between the two countries but the operations were stopped in mid-1990s due to commercial reasons.

"We received tremendous support and interest from Indians. Now with the new airline 'Air Tanzania', starting (to Mumbai) from this November, we expect the increase in number of tourists from India to Tanzania, Tanzania Tourist Board Managing Director Devota Mdachi said.

The board hosted a roadshow here Monday to showcase the cultural richness of the land and to give insights about famous tourist attractions of Tanzania.

According to Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre (Mumbai) Jilesh Babla, Air Tanzania recently received permission to operate into India from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

He said the African carrier would operate four direct flights per week to Mumbai from Dar Es Salaam with a Boeing 787 aircraft.

Talking to PTI on the sidelines of the first convention of the Global Tourism Council that began in Cairo Sunday, Babla had said that due to commercial reasons, direct flights were stopped by Air India and Air Tanzania.

The Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre also promotes Tanzanian tourism. New Delhi-based Bird Group has been appointed as the general sales agent for the airline.

Stating that both Tanzania and Zanzibar Island offer huge potential to Indian tourists, Babla said an equally big potential lies for the Tanzanian tourists into India.

Tanzania was named the best safari country in Africa in 2014 and 2015. This put Tanzania on the world map as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Africa.

Tanzania is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites and is famous for its history, impressive ruins of 14th to 16th century tombs, mosques and palaces. More than 20% of the African continent's largest mammals live in Tanzania.