Govt wants more bidders for Air Tanzania

[Invisible]

Ready to fly to ... nowhere? Critics say the government has not kept its word on giving Air Tanzania full support since the firm parted ways with South African Airways in 2006. Picture: File



By WILFRED EDWIN
Sunday, January 10 2010
The East African


Even as the government enters the final stages of two-year negotiations with China Sonangol International Holdings to buy a controlling stake in Air Tanzania Corporation Ltd, it has now decided to invite more international firms to vie for a stake in the ailing airline.

The state-owned carrier last month cut 155 jobs amid talks of a partnership with China Sonangol. Only 182 employees remained. It cited overstaffing and accumulated staff wages as the reasons for the layoffs..

Ministry of Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Omar Chambo told The EastAfrican last week that talks between the government and officials from China Sonangol are at an “advanced stage,” without elaborating further.

Mr Chambo said the negotiations with the Chinese firm do not debar the government from looking for other investors, and that already several other companies have shown interest in the carrier. However, he declined to name the firms and their number, saying this could jeopardise the discussions.

According to Mr Chambo the government wants to see Air Tanzania revived and brought back to full strength to take advantage of growing markets like the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Zambia and Malawi.

But critics say the government has not kept its word on giving Air Tanzania full support since the firm parted ways with South African Airways in 2006.

Air Tanzania Corporation Ltd, formerly known as Air Tanzania Corporation, was privatised on December 2, 2002 in a deal in which SAA acquired 49 per cent shares in the firm $20 million, which largely went into shareholding, with the rest going into capital and training accounts.

Last week, a US firm, Celtic Capital Corporation of Texas, said it was ready to take over the operations of Air Tanzania.

Five firms based in the US, the UK and the United Arab Emirates have also shown interest in running the cash-strapped airline.

In August 2008, the Tanzania government held secret talks with the Chinese Development Bank to sell the 49 per cent shares acquired back from SAA to a Hong Kong-based private firm with a view to reviving the ailing airline.

In the deal, China Sonangol International Holdings was expected to fund the operations of the airline that is now struggling to regain its reputation and position in the regional and international market.

Sam Pal, chairman of Sonangol International told The EastAfrican recently that China Development Bank would be funding the takeover of Air Tanzania, but bureaucracy within the government has delayed the takeover.

Terminal 3

Mr Pal said that Sonangol has already started construction of Terminal Three of JK Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and is working on expansion of the airport.

Sonangol said that it has already bought an Embarer fleet for Air Tanzania.

China Sonangol International Holdings Ltd, which was established in 2004, mainly engages in oil, gas and minerals investment and exploration, crude oil trading and large-scale national reconstruction projects.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company also has branch offices in mainland China, Africa and Latin America and operates the oil refinery in Angola as well as chartered airlines in Angola, the US and the UK.

 

[Magezi]

bila 10% mafisadi hawawezekani........lazima watampa mwarabu ATCL kama malipo ya Dowans.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

hawa watu wana wazimu wa aina fulani; hilo dege mbona mwenye keshalichukua na kesi inaandaliwa; ubishi tuuuuuu!! wacha mimi ni worry about mafuriko!

 

[Bulesi]

hawa watu wana wazimu wa aina fulani; hilo dege mbona mwenye keshalichukua na kesi inaandaliwa; ubishi tuuuuuu!! wacha mimi ni worry about mafuriko!

MM ndege anazosema Mchina amewanunulia ATCL ni hizo DASH 8 mbili; hiyo unayosema mwenyewe ameichukua ni AIRBUS 320 ambayo ilikuwa imekodishwa kwa kulazimishwa na wizara ingawa wafanyakazi waliopunguzwa wanasema board ya shirika imekuwahaifiki ukodishwaji wa ndege hiyo !!Inasemekana kweli kesi juu ya malipo ya hiyo ndege inaandaliwa.

 

[Ndahani]

MM ndege anazosema Mchina amewanunulia ATCL ni hizo DASH 8 mbili; hiyo unayosema mwenyewe ameichukua ni AIRBUS 320 ambayo ilikuwa imekodishwa kwa kulazimishwa na wizara ingawa wafanyakazi waliopunguzwa wanasema board ya shirika imekuwahaifiki ukodishwaji wa ndege hiyo !!Inasemekana kweli kesi juu ya malipo ya hiyo ndege inaandaliwa.

Kaazi kweli kweli. Haya nayo ni madudu ya awamu ya tatu?Maana verse za awamu ya tatu zikikatika ujue zitaendelezwa za awamu ya nne

 

[Wacha1]

Hivi kwa nini wasiuze share kwa Watanzania tuimiliki wenyewe 100% tuna pesa bwana hawa viongozi wamelogwa.

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Terminal 3

Mr Pal said that Sonangol has already started construction of Terminal Three of JK Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and is working on expansion of the airport.

Mimi nadhani kuwa hapa ndipo kwenye shughuli na sio kwenye hizo ndege! Hawa ndugu zetu wamepewa lease ya muda gani? Na nani atahakikisha kuwa wanajenga world-class terminal?

Amandla......

 

[Pundamilia07]

Developing Story

ATCL out to boost flights




By Dominic Nkolimwa



12th January 2010













Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has leased an aircraft from an American firm, Celtic Capital Air Corporation to revamp its operations.
Speaking exclusively to this paper in Dar es Salaam, the Managing Director of the corporation, Fabian Bachrach said his company had signed a contract to bring a new aircraft into the country.
“The aircraft will be under the ATCL management,” he said, further disclosing that the contract commenced on January 2, this year.
“We have signed an 18-month contract to work with ATCL until July 2011, when our contract expires,” said Bachrach.
He said already his company had brought one aircraft, a Boeing 737 which was already operating daily between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza.
Bachrach said the agreement requires the US firm to bring in one aircraft capable of carrying 200 passengers at a time.
“We have not been asked to bring more planes so far,” Bachrach said.
He insisted that research had revealed that Tanzania had a good and reliable market for the airline industry, because there was a growing demand for the service taking into account that the country was among the world’s prime tourist destinations.
According to Bachrach, ATCL needed to have in place modern airline facilities and a good management which would work to attract customers.
He urged the government to seriously invest in improving ATCL’s image.
“If the government of Tanzania provides adequate resources to ATCL, obviously the company will regain its status and become the leader in the country’s airline business,” he said.
He also cited some of the challenges that ATCL was facing as the lack of a website which made it unable to operate efficiently in the era of globalization, where airline companies issued tickets online.
“This costs ATCL a lot of money which is paid to the travel agencies working on its behalf,” he said, adding that poor marketing was another key challenge facing ATCL.
The ATCL’s Acting Managing Director, Willam Hajji confirmed recently that his company has one more aircraft, a Boeing 737 which is operating between Dar and Mwanza.
“We are doing all our best to bring life back to this company,” said Hajji.
He said already plans were underway to ensure the company had three more planes to make it recover from its longstanding problems.
“We are doing this while the government is looking for a permanent strategic investor,” he said.
Contacted for comment, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Omari Chambo said the government would work on the proposals to uplift the services offered by ATCL.
Chambo admitted that ATCL was faced with many challenges which had forced the government to inject amount of huge money to improve its operations.
Late December last year, five firms based in the US, the UK and the United Arab Emirates showed interests to run the cash-strapped ATCL.
In January last year, the government rescued the national flag carrier from financial doldrums with the disbursement of a second bailout package to the tune of 4.5bn/-.
The firm has experienced a series of problems since its marriage with “strategic investor” South African Airline (SAA) that collapsed in 2006.

Inaonekana majadiliano na Mchina yalikwishafika mwisho na hakuna makubaliano ya kukubaliana.
Kauli ya PS Chambo kuwa serikali inataka kupanua wigo kwa kushirikisha wawekezaji wengine maana yake ni kuwa serikali inakiri kuwa maongezi na wachina yemefikia mwisho bila ya mafanikio.

 

[Che Guevara]

Ready to fly to ... nowhere? Critics say the government has not kept its word on giving Air Tanzania full support since the firm parted ways with South African Airways in 2006. Picture: File



By WILFRED EDWIN
Sunday, January 10 2010
The East African


Even as the government enters the final stages of two-year negotiations with China Sonangol International Holdings to buy a controlling stake in Air Tanzania Corporation Ltd, it has now decided to invite more international firms to vie for a stake in the ailing airline.


Mr Chambo said the negotiations with the Chinese firm do not debar the government from looking for other investors, and that already several other companies have shown interest in the carrier. However, he declined to name the firms and their number, saying this could jeopardise the discussions.

Let's pray that those 'other companies' are not currently being hastily created overseas in ad-hoc basis by the likes of Rostam, Lowassa etc. with the purpose of grabbing yet another public company, with the purpose of milking it dry ala Richmond/Dowans/Tanesco & Rites/TRL.

 

[Tumain]

bila 10% mafisadi hawawezekani........lazima watampa mwarabu ATCL kama malipo ya Dowans.

Yap wacha wawape Emirates au Qatar wana mtaji na wanaweza kuendesha biashara??

Kwani kuna shida kupewa mwaraabu au wewe wataka wazungu tu..acha ubaguzi as long as unatafuta mwekezaji ..usiangalie rangi wala dini!

Kama anatimiza vigezo let him take...vinginevyo waendeshe wabong wenyewe wawape precision air..