Air Tanzania has entered a new phase of regional and continental expansion with the launch of routes to Accra, Cape Town, and Victoria Falls, strengthening its position as one of Africa’s emerging aviation players. The new destinations push the national carrier beyond its traditional short-range routes and mark a strategic shift toward connecting East, West, and Southern Africa through Dar es Salaam.
The Dar es Salaam–Accra service is among the few direct air links between East and West Africa, addressing a long-standing gap in intra-continental connectivity. Until now, passengers and cargo moving between Tanzania and Ghana were commonly routed through Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kigali, or Middle Eastern hubs, increasing travel time and logistical costs. Air Tanzania’s new direct link is expected to cut transit hours, improve reliability, and support sectors that depend heavily on time-sensitive movement, including exporters of perishable goods, pharmaceutical distributors, consulting firms,s and digital service providers. The route also strengthens trade flows between Dar es Salaam Port and Ghana’s Tema Port, supporting AfCFTA’s wider goal of seamless intra-African commerce.
Cape Town brings a different economic opportunity for Tanzania. As one of Africa’s strongest tourism and business destinations, the city offers access to a high-volume, high-value travel market. The airline expects the new route to attract southern African tourists, combining Cape Town with Zanzibar or Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Analysts say the move could increase premium tourism arrivals into the country. Cargo prospects are also promising, with South Africa’s advanced retail and agro-processing industries offering new openings for Tanzanian exporters dealing in fish, horticulture and artisanal products. Faster air links could translate into fresher shipments, greater reliability, and improved pricing power for local producers.
The addition of Victoria Falls taps into the continent’s rising demand for multi-destination tourism. With travellers increasingly seeking packaged itineraries that combine wildlife, natural wonders, and beach destinations, the Dar es Salaam–Victoria Falls connection makes “Falls to Zanzibar” travel more accessible. This is expected to boost hotel occupancy, tour bookings, and aviation activity in both Tanzania and Zimbabwe while attracting higher-spend tourists who contribute more to the broader value chain.
Industry experts note that each new route strengthens Dar es Salaam’s potential as a continental aviation hub. Expanded connectivity typically increases inbound passenger volumes and supports a broader ecosystem of aviation services, logistics, hospitality, and conference facilities. The growing network positions Tanzania to capture a greater share of Africa’s mobility and trade flows.
However, analysts also caution that the expansion carries financial risks. Long-haul regional routes are fuel-intensive and more expensive to operate, and their sustainability depends on achieving strong load factors and competitive yields. Air Tanzania faces stiff competition from established carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, RwandAir, and several southern African airlines already active in these markets. Securing tourism partnerships, intensifying route marketing, and building reliable cargo contracts will be crucial to keeping the new services profitable.
Despite these challenges, the airline’s latest expansion is viewed as a calculated step aligned with national economic priorities. If passenger numbers grow as projected and cargo volumes remain strong, the new routes could evolve into key economic drivers—positioning Tanzania not only as a tourism hotspot but as an essential connector in Africa’s aviation and trade landscape.
