In a letter dated October 19, the authority informed the ground handlers of its intentions to conduct the audit and the companies were invited to the pre-audit meeting last Friday, The Citizen has learnt.
“As part of the implementation of the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) safety management and in order to comply with the Tanzania Aviation Authority regulations and ICAO document 9981, PANS Aerodromes, ZAA shall require and ensure that all organisations performing activities at the aerodrome comply with the established safety requirements,” reads the letter.
It adds: Based on the regulations above at least one audit per year shall be carried out in compliance with the existing concession agreement.
The regulator also said the audit was going to be conducted by an independent ICAO/ACI certified auditor.
The week-long audit is set to include Transworld, ZAT and the newcomer Dnata Zanzibar who were licensed in June plus exclusive rights to manage Terminal 3 building by ZAA.
This, according to available records, will be the first time that the authority conducts such an audit since it was formed, and it comes at a time when the authority has just announced record earnings in the first quarter of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
ZAA on Friday October 21, announced they had collected record revenue of Sh6.7 billion in the first quarter of 2022- 23 fiscal year beating the previous years since the authority was formed in the period under review .
Past audits that ensured that ground handlers performed optimally were carried out by individual airlines before signing and renewal of contracts, plus periodically by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).
Pundits, however, question the rationale of auditing companies that are likely to shut down in a month’s time following the September 14 directive that granted exclusive rights to the newly formed Dnata Zanzibar.
“As you are aware all International Airlines will be obliged to operate through the new Terminal III building which is principally under one ground handler. This means that the others will have to shut down given the low volumes of domestic flights that will operate in Terminal 2 after they are forced out,” says a former minister who preferred anonymity.
He questioned whether the audit has been prompted by any complaints from the airlines served by the companies.
“If you have not done it before in over a decade, what is your motivation of doing it now? Have the airlines complained about services offered?” he questions
The two companies ZAT and Transworld currently operate all the international flights that fly into the Abeid Aman Karume International Airport.
Airlines that fly into the AAKIA, Zanzibar include Etihad, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Turkish Airlines, Lot polish, Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Tui and Ethiopian Airlines.
Others are Kenya Airways, Air France, KLM, Edelweiss, and Eurowings with ZAA saying that they have received more applications from carriers who intend to ply the Zanzibar route in the near future.
Share this news
This Year’s Most Read News Stories
The reason internet speeds in Tanzania still lag behind
Vodacom Tanzania was placed 16th at 17. ’08 Mbps, while Airtel Tanzania was ranked 18th available on 12. 89 Mbps.Continue Reading
Tanzania: Samia Hands Over NBC’s 354m/ – Crop Insurance Compensation to Farmers Affected By Hailstorms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has handed over a cheque of 354m/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) as compensation to tobacco farmers, who were affected by hailstorms during the previous farming season in various regions across the country.
Handing over the cheque in Dodoma, the compensation is part of the crop insurance service provided by NBC in collaboration with the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
Furthermore, President Samia has also handed over health insurance coverage to members of the Lindi Mwambao Cooperative Union based in Lindi Region, through the Farmers’ Health Insurance service provided by the bank in partnership with Assurance Insurance Company.
While visiting the bank’s pavilion at the Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition and being received and briefed by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Theobald Sabi, she said: “This crop insurance is one of the crucial solutions in ensuring farmers have a reliable income, without fear of challenges such as natural disasters, including hailstorms.
“I call upon all farmers in the country to make the best use of this important opportunity by accessing these kinds of insurance services. I also highly commend NBC and all the stakeholders participating in this programme.”
Elaborating further on the crop insurance service, the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stated that it will help to recover the loss farmers incurred, especially in various calamities beyond their control.
Citing them as floods, fires, and hailstorms, which have significantly affected the well-being of farmers and caused some to be reluctant to invest in the crucial sector, Mr Bashe added: “However, our President, this step by NBC is just the beginning, as this is the second year since they started offering this service, and the results are already visible.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
“As the government, we promise to continue supporting the wider implementation of this service, with the goal of ensuring that this crop insurance service reaches more farmers.”
ALSO READ: NBC participates in TFF 2023/24 awards, promises to enhance competition
On his part, Mr Sabi said that the farmers who benefited from the compensations are from 23 primary cooperative unions in the regions of Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Katavi, and Kigoma.
He added: “In addition to these insurance services, as a bank, through this exhibition, we have continued with our programme of providing financial education and various banking opportunities to farmers, alongside offering them various loans, including loans for agricultural equipment, particularly tractors, to eligible farmers.:
At the NBC booth, President Samia also had the opportunity to be briefed on the various services offered by the bank to the farmers namely crop insurance and health insurance services.
There, the President had the chance to speak with some of the beneficiaries of the services, including the Vice-Chairman of the Lindi Mwambao Primary Cooperative Union, Mr. Hassan Mnumbe, whose union has been provided with a health insurance card from the bank.
Source: allafrica.com
Mwinyi lashes out at Zanzibar Airport, Port inefficiency claims
Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi has lashed out at the Opposition ACT Wazalendo, saying that the claims it raised about inefficiency in three areas within his Government were only meant to mislead the publicContinue Reading
