Merely observing the human traffic at the city centres, the several beaches, or better still, the Dar es Salaam International Airport, would at once convince even the most incurable development pessimist of the need to urgently raise the effectiveness of Tanzania’s air transport system as the safest and fastest means of movement into and around Tanzania.

This is more accentuated during the dry season, when the rains have ceased (usually June to October) and when the tourist arrivals peak.

Tanzania has the potential to double or triple its current tourism-based air traffic, which combines with other traffic to make up the current little over two-million passengers recorded in Tanzania’s air transport industry in 2010.

There are notable efforts to enhance the effectiveness of several modes of transport culminating in an efficiently integrated transport system, including air, rail, road and seaways in Tanzania. However, the country is too strategic a place to continue with its current state of aviation infrastructure.

This is no hidden fact as tourist’s criss-cross the country, for instance, from Arushas irresistible serenity and the breath-taking festoon of almost unlimited wildlife in northern Tanzania’s Serengeti, Ngorongoro, etc, to the natural artistry of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar’s scenic beaches.

On atypical dry season day, Precision Airs fully loaded ATR-42 aircraft from Nairobi to Arusha, for example, could have above 90% tourists on board, all responding to the magnetic pull of Tanzania’s rich long-standing ancestry shared for the most part among wildlife, horticulture and prized mineral resources.

Arusha, the serene halfway-point between the tips of Africa- Cairo and Cape Town –is often revered as the continents conference hub.

This is in direct contention with Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city and another historic centre seen by many rather as Africa’s political capital.

Tanzania is one of the world’s most fascinating tourist attractions, where every repeated visit bears the remarkable first-time effect.

Air Transport Infrastructure

Tanzania’s international airports are in Dar es Salaam ,Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar .In addition, aerodromes and airstrips are spread all over the country to provide a quick-fix to short-haul movements by air.

However, the national airline, Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) ,which was the major provider of domestic air travel linking all major towns in the country, is now in the intensive care unit, and Omari Nundu, Tanzania’s Minister of Transport now about one year in office, is working hard at resuscitating the comatose airline with a change in management ,injection of a sort of take-off fund and about two refurbished aircraft.

Currently, private airlines rule the Tanzanian domestic and regional routes, while largely foreign carriers hold away on the longer-haul sectors with the likes of KLM, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, and South African Airways, etc.Combining to bring daily flights from Europe, India, the Middle East and Southern Africa.

Foreign tourists and locals hope Tanzania’s air transport system will improve significantly sooner rather than later. But the challenge is, however, that the technicality of creating and sustaining a robust air transport system in Tanzania has long become a hard row to hoe.

Analyst says Tanzania’s radar system needs to be improved to enhance efficiency and safety of air traffic management in Tanzania’s FIR.

This may because more worry given that the global air transport industry is now transitioning to satellite-based air traffic management systems, as opposed to the predominantly terrestrial-based radar system, to which many air transport regions, including Tanzania, are struggling to reach.

There is much discontent over Tanzania’s alleged tardy response to issues of regional integration and market access.

However, many are optimistic that the proper understanding of a truly liberalized economic and air transport environment would actuate the Tanzanian authorities to, for instance, ease access restrictions to more African States and their airlines to Tanzania to catalyze regional traffic and economic integration.

And strengthening the operating environment for more airlines to flourish would enhance the vibrancy of Tanzania’s air transport industry.

However, Minister Nundu has stated at every opportunity Tanzania's readiness to embrace the continents air transport liberalization scheme referred to as the Yamoussoukro Decision which he helped to create in 2000, and which transformed from the Yamoussoukro Declaration of 1988.

He gives the proviso that African countries seeking to send their airlines to Tanzania must be open to Tanzania and other African countries in the true spirit of the Yamoussoukro Decision.

Evidently, this is the New Tanzania that Africa’s air transport industry would prefer, even though visa restrictions for many African countries still prohibit African investors and tourists from playing active roles in Tanzania’s industry and economic transformation.

Sustaining The Airports

A new terminal is underway at the Julius Nyerere International Airport to effectively handle more traffic.

According to the Tanzania Ministry of Transport which quoted Nundu recently: “The government is looking for competent investors in Civil aviation industry to improve infrastructure at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) and to make the facility a regional hub in air transportation”.

One major task, however, is to upgrade the aerodromes and airfields dotting parts of Tanzania to engender improved safety and service quality. In the 2011 budget, the airport sub-sector is to receive Sh 86,9-billion from the Sh 167-billion mapped out for transport industry for the construction of eight airports namely, Kigoma, Mpanda,Mwanza,Arusha,Tabora,Songwe,Mafia and Singida.

Poor airports facilities have hindered the expansion of local airlines like Flight540 and Precision Air.

Although Tanzania had accommodated public-private partnership, for instance, in the management of the Kilimanjaro International Airport Development Company (KADCO), the airport requires investments in non-aeronautical ventures where visitors can spend some time and money before leaving.

Many of Tanzania’s airports naturally feed from under-exploited tourism and horticultural hotspots. In 2010, passenger traffic in Tanzania was 2137253 over the 2009figure of 1970656 passengers.

Of all Tanzania’s 56 airports ,only the Julius Nyerere International Airport crosses the million-passenger mark with 1422846 recorded in 2009 and 1556410 in 2010, according to data from Tanzania Airports Authority.

Strong potentials exist to increase traffic at fast-rising airports like Mwanza, Arusha and Mtwara, which recorded below a million passengers in 2010.

Mwanza had 224207 passengers in2009 and 227479 in 2010.Arusha recorded 122621 passengers in 2009 and 154174 in 2010.What is important, though, is that these lead airports need stronger (non-) aeronautical investments.

An airport system improvement frame-work that takes into account external partners support is necessary to revive the sub-sector in Tanzania where the economy equally holds much promise.

The current task in Tanzania is for government and the private sector to harness the rich endowments of the country.

At present, Tanzania's economy is anticipated to grow at about 6, 8% in 2011and about 7,2% in 2012; while the country’s aviation industry is expected to grow at about 7,9% in the near-term. These provide a solid foundation for the building up of Tanzania’s air transport system using the right mix of infrastructure, human resources and, essentially, commitment.

Airline Business

The stalling of Air Tanzania gives the government some worry. The government, actuated by the success of national carriers in the region, may be looking towards private partnership to re-invent the airline. However, it is not the ownership that determines the success of an airline, but how the airline is managed, as it is often said.

Though a number of private carriers currently exist in Tanzania, most importantly, the success stories of private airlines like Tanzania’s Precision Air and Fly540, as well as SA Express Airways, among others, should encourage the Tanzania Government to prepare fertile ground for the planting of large and more robust private-sector airlines in Tanzania.

Imminent Turn-Around?

As Tanzania marks 50 years of independence in 2011, many Tanzanians would be more fulfilled to have an improved air transport system that is poised for the future.

And with his extensive grasp of industry technicalities, it may be incorrect to be pessimistic over Nundus ability to revive the Tanzanian aviation industry-if the bureaucracies typical of government schemes are put aside.

What is required is a listening government and a supportive aviation industry. Gradually, the turn-around can be achieved .Severe critics must take into account the time, resources and manpower needed to achieve transformation for Tanzania and, of course participate positively in this needed industry renewal.

President Jakaya Kikwete, announced at a major international air transport forum in Dares Salaam recently, his political support for air transport development in Tanzania and the region.

To go beyond usual empty promises, industry expects Kikwete to bring practical support by assenting to funding support in key safety projects, as well as creating easier importantly, investors who would create jobs for Tanzanians.

With experience from the highest levels in local, regional and global aviation, Nundu is now pushing for transformation of Tanzania air transport system. He became the Minister for Transport in Tanzania in late 2010, which brought strong hope to his country and aviation kinsmen.

There is much pressure from those who worry that the difficulties that face Tanzania’s air transport industry are becoming a maze of sort. Some critics also raise serious questions as to the non-availability of an effective search and rescue (SAR) and accident investigation structure in the region at present.

Nundus cures for the industry are expected to draw from the East African regions aviation safety framework-the Civil Aviation Safety Oversight Agency (CASSOA) based in Tanzania, and the affiliation of the East African bloc with the US Federal Aviation Administration to raise the bar on aviation safety in East Africa.

COSSOAs Draft Five Year Strategic Plan 2010/11-2014/15 ,targets “developing a sustainable safe, secure and efficient civil aviation sub-sector in the region in line with EAC and Agency objectives.”

Tanzania can avoid more wasted opportunities by properly harnessing its tourism and air transport potentials.

The government of Tanzania needs to put all the Safety Management Systems together and give financial support to the aviation industry by harnessing the East Africa Integration. Through this and also implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision which it is a signatory and in which it is supposed to liberalize the air transport industry by allowing more African airlines to operate on the same play playing field. If the government implements the said factors then it will get more investors in the aviation industry and in the collapsing national carrier Air Tanzania Corporation and let experts run the show other than holding on to ownership.

Anthony Juma is the Editor and Senior Aviation Director at Wings Over Africa Aviation. <br><a href='http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com’> This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Flight Air News Kenya,Tanzania,Africa,Uganda,Rwanda,Burundi,DR Congo,Somalia,South Sudan, Sudan ,Eastern & Central Africa & On, How Much Longer Before Tanzanias Air Transport Turns-Around?. </a> The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/flight-news.html</a>