East African Business Week

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Precision Air last week took delivery of a new Boeing 737-300 aircraft to strengthen its fleet in its domestic, regional and international routes.
The new aircraft, with capacity for 116 passengers, was delivered in Dar es Salaam on August 27th, 2011, bringing the total fleet to eight aircraft.
Briefing journalists mid last week, the Managing Director of Precision Air Group, Mr. Alfonse Kioko, said the aircraft was obtained through a wet lease from the United Kingdom at a monthly fee of US$115,000.
According to Kioko the new airline will substitute the old planes in international routes to South Africa and Comoro island, and will help increase daily domestic trips to Mwanza and Zanzibar and to Nairobi, Kenya.
Kioko said the airline decided to increase after noting an increase in passengers' demand and thus the need to meet the growing demand and competition in the aviation industry.
"Competition in the aviation industry does not come from South Africa alone, but from many other companies from other countries. However, we have been always taking measures to meet challenges in the industry," he added.
Precision Air's latest acquisition will service the Dar es Salaam-Johannesburg and Comoro routes, officials said.
Precision Air is considered to be the best among domestic airline companies in Tanzania, operating between the country's major airports of Dar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Zanzibar and Mwanza.
   The airline is a partner with the Kenya Airways-KLM network.