■ TANZANIA: Precision Air posts a USD18.8million loss for FY2012/13.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) has confirmed sustaining a hefty loss of TZS30.4billion (USD18.84million) for its most recent 2012/13 Financial Year ended March 31, 2013. In their statement, the the Board of Directors of Precision Air Services Plc said that while total revenues had grown by 8.2% on the previous years figures to TZS176.4billion (USD109.3million), the loss was attributable to rising fuel, maintenance and equipment costs, rising personnel expenditure and an unfavourable USD exchange rate also taking its toll.

► TANZANIA: fastjet to embark on a staff-cutting exercise in bid to ease financial pressure.

Struggling LCC fastjet (FN), is set to become the second major Tanzanian carrier to embark on a redundancy drive following reports that it is in consultations with its employees regarding pending staff cuts aimed at trimming its head-count by 12%. 

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air to post loss during latest Financial Year; asks government for $32mln in funding.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) will this year post a heavy loss, the airline’s board chairman, Mr Michael Shirima, has announced. In addition, the airline has reportedly asked the government, among various other undisclosed financial institutions, for TZS51.2billion (USD32million) in funding to help cover bank loans and instalments for its TZS218billion (USD136million) order with ATR which includes four ATR42-600s and one ATR72-600.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air goes all prop as last 737 is withdrawn from service.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) has reportedly retired its last remaining B737-300 (MSN 28573 | 5H-PKS) from service with the aircraft now listed by a US-based leasing firm as being available for either sale or lease immediately. The move effectively leaves the Dar-es-Salaam based carrier with an exclusively turboprop fleet of five ATR42s and five ATR72-500s.

► SOUTH AFRICA: DoT grants fastjet Foreign Operators Permit paving way for Dar - Joburg; no mention of Kigali or Lusaka (yet).

Following on from its previous announcement, fastjet (FN) says it has been issued a Foreign Operator Permit from the South African Department of Transport thereby paving the way for the launch of flights between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air announces operational review; Harare flights to begin "shortly".

Tanzanian operator, Precision Air (PW), has announced it is in the process of reviewing its operational 5-year plan as part of its expansion and business review. According to CEO, Sauda Rajab, her airline intends to review its operational and fleet expansion measures while reassessing its current position on the Tanzanian and regional markets.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air claims Zanzibar flights unaffected by taxman woes.

Precision Air (PW), has moved to refute claims published in Tanzanian paper, The Daily News, claiming the Zanzibar Revenue Board had restricted the carrier's flights to the island of Zanzibar as well as closing the company's offices over unpaid taxes.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air sees a 6% increase in pax uplifted over NOV12 - JAN13 period.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) says it has registered a 6% growth in passenger traffic for the period NOV12 - JAN13 with an overall growth of 13% for the period APR12 to JAN13.

■ TANZANIA: Sauda Rajab appointed new helmsman at Precision Air as Kioko steps down.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) has announced the appointment of Ms Sauda S. Rajab to the position of Group Managing Director & CEO following the expiry of incumbent Alphonse Kioko's contract.

► TANZANIA: A look at Precision Air's network expansion plans for 2016.

Rwandan aviation blog, Rwandan-Flyer, reports that Tanzanian private carrier and interim flag carrier, Precision Air (PW), is planning a big regional expansion programme in the coming months with new services to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Angola and Mozambique to be added by 2016.

► TANZANIA: South Africa's Mango sets sights on East Africa with Zanzibar a possible launch destination.

South African Low Cost Carrier Mango (JE) is set to expand into the East African market in the coming 18 months according to Mango CEO Nico Bezuidenhout with the strongest contender on the carrier's list said to be Zanzibar, where the carrier operated a limited charter service in December.

► TANZANIA: (Pics) Precision Air takes delivery of its second new ATR 42-600.

Tanzania's Precision Air on Sunday 23 December 2012, took delivery of its second ATR42-600 (MSN 1003 | 5H-PWI) following a delivery flight routed Toulouse -  Brindisi - Luxor - Dar es Salaam. The welcoming ceremony was held at Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air announces 4x weekly Mbeya flights as new Songwe International Airport opens after 10 years of construction.

After a decade under construction, Songwe International Airport, which serves the south western Tanzanian town of Mbeya, on 13 December, joined Dar Es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International, Kilimanjaro Airport, and Zanzibar International as the country's fourth international airport, with Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW) amongst the first to announce 4x weekly ATR72-operated flights to the airport, effective 1 February  2013.

■ TANZANIA: fastjet to recruit local Tanzanian pilots, as Precision Air clears the air over PATP allegations.

fastjet's (FN) plans to include local Tanzanians in its pilot recruitment drive says the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Richard Bodin. With its launch date fast approaching (29 November), the carrier has recruited pilots to fly its three Airbus A319 planes, set to arrive in Tanzania shortly.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air takes delivery of its first new ATR 42-600.

Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW), today, took delivery of its first ATR42-600 out of five brand new -600 series ATR aircraft (i.e. 4 ATR 42-600s and 1 ATR 72-600) ordered in December 2011. The official ceremony took place earlier today at the ATR Delivery Center in Toulouse, France, and was attended by Alfonse Kioko, CEO of Precision Air and Filippo Bagnato, ATR's CEO.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air extends Sabena Technics contract; readies itself for arrival of four additional ATR42s.

Just a week after sealing a 5 year deal with FastJet to provide general service and maintenance to its Airbus A319 fleet set to be based out of Dar es Salaam, Belgium's Sabena Technics, today, extended an existing contract with yet another Tanzanian carrier, Precision Air (PW), to now provide component support for its new fleet of ATR 42-600s and ATR72-600s.

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air posts USD400'000 profit despite tough market conditions.

Tanzanian private carrier Precision Air (PW) yesterday presented its  Ernst & Young audited report for the Financial Year 2011/2012 to shareholders, marking the airline's first annual general meeting since the company floated its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) in November of last year.

► DUBAI: Emirates looks to partner African LCC airlines in bid to establish feeder networks.

Emirati carrier Emirates (EK) has allured to plans it has for future partnerships with Africa-focused low-cost carriers as the mega-carrier moves to boost its presence on the continent.

► ZIMBABWE: Tanzania's Precision Air eyes Harare via Blantyre before year end.

Tanzania's  Precision Air (PW), in addition to announcing its partnership with Vodacom Tanzania in launching M-Pesa - an innovative method of paying for one's air tickets using cellphone airtime - and having received a shot in the arm last week when 41% shareholder Kenya Airways (KQ) announced it would inject "between USD4 - 6million" into the carrier from its own USD80million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to help aid the Tanzanian regional carrier's fleet expansion plans, today announced plans to resurrect its service to Harare, Zimbabwe albeit via Blantyre, Malawi, and not Lilongwe, Malawi, as originally intended.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air increases capacity to Arusha and Mwanza; suspends Johannesburg, Kigoma and Mwanza.

Very strong growth in the Tanzanian domestic market has forced Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW) to mix, match and in some cases scratch destinations served as demand for aircraft available and profitability on certain routes has stretched the airline to capacity.