Direct flights to Zanzibar spur Island’s economic growth

• Data shows direct flights to Zanzibar have hit 34 from around the world.
• Talks underway to launch direct flights to Zanzibar from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Kenya-based budget carrier Jambojet is set to start Zanzibar-Mombasa flights from July.

Zanzibar President Dr. Hussein Mwinyi has been steadfast in his push for the economic growth of the Spice Islands and a globally renown tourist hub. Among his major focuses has been the introduction of direct flights to Zanzibar, an archpelago off the Indian Ocean.

Zanzibar’s crown airport is Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport which now the government is revamping, expanding, and modernizing to meet the demand of a growing number of visitors.

Complete with almost all modern facilities, the airport also has several duty-free and commercial outlets at its terminals, enhancing its appeal for airline operators eyeing direct flights to Zanzibar.

For example, its newly-built international Terminal 3, which exclusively serves international flights has been redesigned and expanded to serve up to 1.6 million people annually.

“I want the immigration department to change and improve its systems … there should be no delays and queues which have been causing inconvenience to travelers. I also direct all other service providers to change their operations in order to meet the international standards after major reforms at the airport,” Zanzibar’s President Dr. Mwinyi instructed the airport authorities and immigration departments recently.

All this buzz comes on the backdrop of several direct flights to Zanzibar. To date, Zanzibar, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland, enjoys up to 34 direct flights from various destinations around the world.

These direct flight deals do not come single-handedly but in packages including pacts for terminal management and other investments at the airport.

Seconding Zanzibar president Mwinyi, the Minister for Infrastructure Development, Communication, and Transport Dr. Khalid Salum Mohamed cited a recent deal in which Zanzibar contracted Dubai-based air services provider Dnata to run several operations at the newly-built Terminal 3.

Zanzibar sought the services of a foreign company to manage its terminal three after what the authorities describe as years of incompetence and lack of skills.

“As Dnata and its associates continue to improve services at the AAKIA, the government is also in the process of constructing Pemba airport as soon as possible so that the Island is open to the world,” announced Dr. Mwinyi.

He lauded Dnata for efficiency improvement at the airport since its inception at Terminal 3. The Dubai company has led to the creation of more than 600 jobs, installation of new equipment, and automation, which in turn has resulted in improved services at the airport.

“Improved services means more travelers including tourists, and increased revenue collection,” Dr Mwinyi said.

Given the fact that improvements at Terminal 3 have resulted in increased tourist receipts and revenue, Dr Mwinyi announced that the government is considering constructing a fourth terminal at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport to increase its current capacity of about 1.6 million travelers annually.

“Due to the influx of tourists, holidaymakers, and other visitors, we are almost beating the 1.6 million travelers’ target. We have quickly noticed that we need another larger space to handle more planes and travelers. Feasibility study for the fourth terminal is underway,” the president announced.

Dubai link in enhancing direct flights to Zanzibar

Dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, entered into a concession agreement with the Zanzibar government, along with Emirates Leisure Retail and SEGAP, for a joint venture between airport infrastructure and operations specialists Egis, and private equity fund manager AIIM.

Under the partnership, Dnata oversees the operations of Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport’s (ZNZ) newly-built international terminal 3, with SEGAP supporting the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) in a management/technical capacity and the Emirates Leisure Retail works in partnership with MMI as master concessionaire for all food and beverage, duty-free and commercial outlets at T3.

With the deal, the company has created employment for hundreds of Zanzibari youth and has effectively introduced its globally renowned passenger handling services to airline customers at ZNZ. It is lauded for ensuring safe and timely operations of flights and all around excellent travel experience for passengers.

Boasting the capacity to handle over 4,000 flights annually at the airport, the firm is now investing in a state-of-the-art cargo centre to improve operations at the airport.

The facility will bring to Zanzibar the highest industry standards, ensure efficient and safe handling of a broad range of cargo, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, live animals, aircraft engines and vehicles.

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Kenya’s Jambojet starts direct flights to Zanzibar