AFRICA-TRANSPORT: AIR TANZANIA WORKERS OPPOSE REGIONAL AIRLINE

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

ALPHA NUHU

DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 22 1994 (IPS) - WORKERS OF THE STATE-RUN AIR TANZANIA CORPORATION (ATC) SAID THURSDAY THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT THE FORMATION OF THE AFRICAN JOINT AIR SERVICES (AJAS), A NEW THREE-NATION CARRIER, WOULD PUT ATC OUT OF BUSINESS.

“IT IS OUR FEAR THAT OPERATIONS OF THE AJAS IN THE SAME ROUTES SERVICED BY ATC WOULD KILL OUR AIRLINE,” SAID SALIM SALIM, AN ATC WORKERS REPRESENTATIVE. “UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO WE WANT TO SEE OUR AIRLINE COLLAPSE BECAUSE OF COMPETITION AFTER HAVING SURVIVED 17 TURBULENT YEARS.”

SOUTH AFRICA, TANZANIA AND UGANDA LAUNCHED AJAS LAST WEEK. THE NEW AIRLINE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN FLYING IN MARCH.

SOUTH AFRICA OWNS 40 PERCENT OF THE SHARES WHILE TANZANIA AND UGANDA HAVE 10 PERCENT EACH. THE REMAINING STAKE IS OPEN TO PRIVATE INVESTORS IN THE THREE COUNTRIES.

ACCORDING TO AJAS OFFICIALS, THE AIRLINE’S DESTINATIONS WILL INCLUDE DAR ES SALAAM, ENTEBBE, LONDON, BOMBAY, DUBAI AND JOHANNESBURG. IT WILL USE A SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS (SAA) BOEING 747-SP AIRCRAFT.

ATC WORKERS RESENT THE IDEA. THEY SAY THESE ROUTES, WHICH HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR AIR TANZANIA SINCE 1992, SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE SERVICED BY ATC AND FEAR THAT AJAS WILL FORCE ATC TO COLLAPSE LIKE ZAMBIA AIRWAYS, WHICH FOLDED LAST MONTH.

TO ALLAY THEIR FEARS, TANZANIA’S MINISTER FOR WORKS, COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT, NALAILA KIULA, THURSDAY ASSURED ATC WORKERS’ REPRESENTATIVES THAT “THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE SURE ATC WILL SURVIVE THE TURMOILS OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.”

“ATC IS CURRENTLY OPERATING PROFITABLY AFTER HAVING BEEN IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN 1992. THE GOVERNMENT, THEREFORE, CANNOT ALLOW IT TO COLLAPSE AFTER INVESTING SO MUCH TO REVIVE IT,” SAID KIULA.

HE SAID A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN ATC AND AJAS OFFICIALS WOULD BE HELD “SOON” TO RATIONALISE THE SERVICES ON THE ROUTES CONCERNED.

DESPITE THE OPPOSITION FROM THE AIR TANZANIA WORKERS, TANZANIAN BUSINESSMEN BELIEVE THE NEW REGIONAL AIRLINE WOULD FORCE THE NATIONAL CARRIER TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES. “IT IS FAIR TO COMPETE IN EVERY BUSINESS,” SAID CHANDRA MEHTA, A BUSINESSMAN HERE.