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Precision Air suspends Dar-Mbeya operations

A man stands near a Precision Air aicraft at Songwe Airport in Mbeya in January 2013. PHOTO|COURTESY OF DARUSI2008.BLOGSPOT.COM

What you need to know:

PW board chairman Michael Shirima had hinted during the inauguration that the Dar es Salaam-Mbeya route would be expensive due to the unavailability of jet fuel in Mbeya.

Dar es Salaam. Precision Air (PW) is temporarily suspending its Dar es Salaam-Mbeya flights as the unavailability of jet fuel at Songwe Airport makes the route unprofitable.

The airline’s brand and marketing coordinator, Mr Hillary Mremi, said in a statement yesterday that since jet fuel was unavailable in Mbeya, PW had to carry it from Dar es Salaam, occupying a space which would have been used for passenger loads.

The suspension will become effective on June 21.

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“The suspension is due to the route’s poor performance which was driven mainly by the unavailability of jet fuel in Mbeya, a situation which necessitated the airline to carry fuel from Dar es Salaam. By so doing our ability to maximise passenger loads has been limited,” the statement reads.

PW launched its Dar es Salaam-Mbeya flights in January last year. During the inauguration, the airline was compelled to reduce the number of passengers from 70 to 50 during the Dar es Salaam-Mbeya flight to provide a space for fuel due to lack of it at Songwe Airport. The airline used its 70-seater ATR-72 aircraft to flag off its services on the new route.

The airline has been flying to Mbeya on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

PW board chairman Michael Shirima had hinted during the inauguration that the Dar es Salaam-Mbeya route would be expensive due to the unavailability of jet fuel in Mbeya.

He asked the government to look for an investor to supply jet fuel at Songwe Airport so that airlines flying to the airport can reduce operational costs.

While apologising to its passengers for the inconveniences, PW said it would monitor the route’s situation with a view to resuming operations as soon as conditions allowed.

“Passengers holding tickets on the affected flights will be refunded. Arrangements have been made to facilitate the refunds through Precision Air or travel agent offices depending on where the tickets were purchased from.”

The Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) listed PW has been in operation for 21 years.

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