One year on from his initial investment, Tanzanair md John D Samaras is using his King Air 350 to service what he says is a rapidly growing business aviation market in Tanzania. “It was a very simple decision to invest in this aircraft,” he says. “We are focusing on corporate aviation. A lot of our work comes from charter brokers worldwide.

“We do a lot of work with oil and gas, corporate and government, so we needed a twin engine aircraft with enough seats and range to be able to take us not just to the furthest parts of Tanzania, but regionally also. No other aircraft would meet these criteria for us, not even the Beechcraft 200.”

The latest addition to the Tanzanair fleet has already completed a couple of flights, including one to Madagascar and 90 minute sectors in Tanzania. “We fly for the major permanent secretaries of our government and the King Air has been very well received,” continues Samaras. “We've also got bookings for other major corporations like breweries that would take the aircraft for three or four days.”

The exterior and interior finish of the aircraft has impressed the company: “Your regular passenger, once he steps into the 350, will see that we are the same as any small or medium sized jet. The customer would not be able to tell the difference between a jet and this turboprop.”

Another key factor is the access offered by the King Air to Tanzania'a airports, over 90 per cent of which are unpaved: “We will not take it to anything less than a 1,200m runway, but because it meets the surface criteria, almost any corner of Tanzania is accessible, with a reasonable load in and out,” Samaras explains.

“It's a better performer than the smaller King Airs, and a better performer than all the other aircraft we operate at the moment.”

Some of Tanzanair's clients, namely oil and gas companies, are not within easy reach of its base. These firms tend to use the operator in place of or as a supplement to their existing services, and in many cases have their own flight departments. Tanzanair says it is subjected to compliance audits by these larger flight departments to make sure that it meets or exceeds the standards that they would expect. Tests are carried out not just for a single flight, but for contracts that may run over several years. Samaras' organisation is seeking to be the primary source of transportation in and around the country, and feels that the latest aircraft are desired by these clients, with all the sophisticated avionics, engines and safety features that they are looking for. Twin engine capability is especially valuable.

In his opinion, upgrading his fleet is necessitated by client expectation “We are doing what we already do, that is to say corporate charter, but we are now using more sophisticated aircraft and the type that the market demands today. Brokers have found out that we have got this aircraft and this has secured bookings to the Serengeti for high calibre tourists.

“Our main business however is oil and gas and the mining industry, in terms of contract work. We get audited very regularly and we don't do any scheduled work at all, it is often corporate.”

It seems that the new additions won't stop here, as Samaras outlines his plans for further fleet expansion: “What we would like to do, sooner rather than later, is to get another 350 for additional capacity, and then from next year start retiring the older aircraft and replacing them with similar types. Luckily the finance is available locally, at least to us, so we don't even have to look offshore. This is a great help.”