Between February and March Precision Air staff from around the country attended training designed to improve their work relations and enhance their own work atmosphere. The training which was conducted by Peak Performance focused on staff groups teamed together from the various departments and offices, was held at the Lamada Hotel & Apartments in Dar es Salaam.

The three-day repeat sessions equipped attendees with the knowledge necessary for ensuring they knew themselves better and were able to understand each other and build on their strengths. Staff took part in group assignments and physical activities all geared towards teamwork and overcoming everyday barriers that often impede workplace progress.

The first-ever training session held for Precision Air staff was in 2003 and in the same way as the recent one it focused on team-building, motivation and culture-building. In 2006 the training was specifically tailored for managers in a bid to equip them for the responsibilities attached to their roles.

Precision Air is currently envisioning a programme that will in a similar way re-ignite the passion for leadership and excellence among managers and supervisors all in a bid to ensure the airline benefits from their good stewardship.

PW has launched a direct flight that will serve the Mwanza Nairobi route direct starting July 1st 2009 four times a week. This flight is in addition to the flight that operates the Mwanza-Nairobi route via Kilimanjaro.

The new flight cuts down travel time from 2hrs and 45 minutes to just 1 hour and 20 minutes. The flight will originate from Nairobi at 0800hrs arrive in Mwanza at 0920hrs, depart Mwanza at 0950hrs and arrive back in Nairobi at 11:10hrs local time.

The flight is ideal for business people in need of early connections out of Nairobi to the rest of the world but has various other advantages;

• Cut down on flight time from 2hrs 45 mins via Kilimanjaro to 1hr 20 mins with the direct flight.
• It’s a direct flight
• Early arrival in Nairobi means you can catch earlier connections from Nairobi to the rest of the world.
• More connections out of Nairobi.
• More choice for you as this is an addition to the current frequencies out of Mwanza.

This direct flight is just one of many efforts that the airline puts into meeting the needs of its customers.

With 13 destinations served within East Africa, and a total of 381 departures a week from the destinations, PW has the widest network in Tanzania. The airline offers seamless connections into Kenya Airways network and more destinations with the Kenya Airways/KLM/Air France partnership.

Precision Air currently offers the widest connections to all major towns in Tanzania including Mwanza, Tabora, Musoma, Shinyanga, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Mtwara and Arusha.  Regionally, the airline flies to Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya and Entebbe in Uganda.

Precision Air Tanzania’s leading airline and winner of the 2008 CEOs Most Respect Company in the country will take delivery of a brand new ATR72-500 mid July 2009.

Zanzibar for Zanzibar in July

Precision Air Tanzania's leading airline and winner of the 2008 CEOs Most Respect Company in the country will take delivery of a brand new ATR72-500 mid July 2009.

The new aircraft will bear the registration PWD and the name Zanzibar is scheduled to arrive at JNIA by 18th July 2009. The aircraft will be launched in Zanzibar a few days after its arrival.

"Since the aircraft will be named Zanzibar, its only fitting that we launch it there so that the people of Zanzibar can be the first to experience traveling in it as its been named in their honor for their support over the years." Said PW's Marketing and Communications Manager Miss Annette Nkini.

The new aircraft, just like the PWC will feature state-of-the-art inflight entertainment allowing the passenger to watch movies and listen to music during flight.

PWD will be the fourth in seven brand new aircraft that the airline has ordered from ATR of France. In 2006 PW and ATR signed a US $129 million deal to deliver seven brand new aircraft. The first aircraft (PWA) was delivered in March 2008 and the second (PWB) in November of the same year and the third one PWC was delivered at the end of April 2009 Under the terms of the deal ATR is required to deliver two aircraft each for the first two years and three in the final year.

The financing deal of the seven aircraft (2 ATR 42-500s and 5 ATR 72-500s) has attracted two international awards. On April 20th 2009, Airfinance Journal awarded the US$ 129 million structured finance lease 'African Deal of the Year 2008' at the 10th Annual Deals of the Year Awards Dinner ceremony, held in New York. The financing of the ATR fleet was already awarded last December, by Jane's Transport Finance magazine, as the "2008 Aircraft Leasing Deal of the Year in Africa".

Precision Air has despite the ongoing economic crunch managed to forge forward with its fleet modernization program largely due to the company's good performance and efficient management.

Precision Air, Tanzania’s leading carriers has launched an early morning flight that will operate between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza with effect from17th November 2008.

According to Precision Air’s Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager Ms Annette Nkini, the first flight to Mwanza will now depart from Julius Nyerere International Airport at the earlier time of 07:30am.

“The first flight will leave Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) at 07:30 am in the morning and arrive in Mwanza at 09:40 am in the morning. It will then depart from Mwanza at 10:10am and arrive in Dar es Salaam at 12:10 pm,’’ she said.

Ms. Nkini added that, the Dar-Mwanza-Dar route will now be operated by the brand new ATR 72-500 that was launched in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday 11th November 2008.

She said that the early departure was introduced to fulfill customer demand. “Some of our customers have been expressing desire to be in Mwanza before 10:00am. With the acquisition of the new aircraft, that desire can now be fulfilled.”

Meanwhile, from 1st, December, PW will fly two times a day to Mwanza from Dar es Salaam. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, a second departure time of 3:30 pm will be introduced.

Ms. Nkini said the second departure will be in addition to the daily early morning flight. The later flight will leave JNIA at 3:30pm and arrive in Mwanza at 5:45 pm and then depart from Mwanza at 6:15 pm and arrive in Dar es Salaam at 8:30 pm at night.

The ATR 72-500 launched last week at a ceremony held at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) is part of Precision Air fleet modernization program.

The aircraft is faster, has a better interior and is fitted with ovens to enable customers be served with warm meals while onboard.

The company chose to purchase ATRs because they have proved effective in the extreme weather conditions of Africa. They are also environmentally friendly as they have a low fuel burn and gas emissions.

This Brand new ATR 72-500 is the second of seven brand new aircraft that PW has ordered from ATR of France in a 129 USD dollar million deal signed in 2006. The deal incorporated a scholarship to train young Tanzanian students in the field of aeronautical maintenance engineering in Toulouse France as part of PW’s corporate social responsibility program.

Precision Air has a long tradition of working with travel agents around the country and particularly in the destinations it serves. Recognizing their contribution to the growth of our airline, agents and their representatives from Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar were invited to the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski in Dar es Salaam where Precision Air held an awards evening for those that made high sales in 2008.

The aptly named Zanzibar Room on the ground floor of the 5-star hotel was donned in our corporate colours that reflected the mood and excitement on the faces of the invited guests and Precision staff in attendance.

With local live band Bora Bora Sounds playing soft classic hits, it was vivid from everyone walking in that the evening was bound to be a magnificent event let alone a memorable one. We were pleased to be in the company of our partner Kenya Airways who were represented by their Country Manager for Tanzania Emmanuel Chepkonga and KLM were also represented by their Country Manager for Tanzania Raymond Reedijk.

Management and staff from various departments within Precision Air as well as guests filled the room as the Mistress of Ceremonies, Service Delivery and Training Manager Pauline Nguyai started off the proceedings which included speeches from the MD & CEO Alfonse Kioko and other senior executives.

After a sumptuous African theme buffet which was greatly enjoyed by everyone, the main part of the evening finally arrived. The guests and staff alike all sat up, eyes fixed on the podium, filled with child-like eagerness to know who the winners would be and possibly who would walk away with the biggest prize in the basket.

As a working tradition, Precision Air values the co-operation rendered by the travel agents around the country particularly in the markets we serve. As a matter of fact all the agents that work with us in one way or another do receive some gesture of gratitude, but on 6th February the agents that made the most sales were honoured. The zones from which the winners came were made up of the respective markets in which the agents operate and as such there was Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mwanza and North Zone which put together Arusha and Moshi.

On the night, each of these zones produced a Gold winner as well as Silver and Bronze winners. One award was singled out specifically for the biggest winner of all, the agent that made the most sales in 2008. This Platinum award deservedly went to Mwanza’s Fourways Travel Services and perfectly on hand to receive it was Managing Director Sharad Shah. Shah established Fourways Travel Services in 1966 and to date its business includes air travel facilitation, tour operating, air charter services, car hire, package tours and camping and fishing safaris. The company also won the Best Agent in Tanzania (Gold) in 2005 and 2006 and along with the Platinum award, Fourways Travel Services also won Gold as the Best Agent in the Lake Zone, which fell under Mwanza.

As is the custom, the 2009 Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair was held in Arusha from 5th to 7th June. Precision Air sponsored the event during which thousands of visitors from around the country where tourism is a major activity had the opportunity to see the trade from varied angles.

This year saw exhibitors from Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya take part in a highly successful event that kept most people occupied with networking, buying and closing deals with hotels, tour operators, airlines and other businesses within the tourism sphere.

Exhibiting in collaboration with partner Kenya Airways, Precision Air provided visitors the opportunity to learn more about the airline, get familiarized with our network, take advantage of existing offers as well as book, change and confirm flights on site.

The Precision Air stand was also visited by the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources Shamsa Mwangunga who amongst other things showed her appreciation for the role the airline plays in the aviation industry in Tanzania.
This year’s sponsorship of the event meant that Precision Air was the official carrier of the trade show, something cemented by the aircraft that frequently flew over the fair grounds on their way to landing at Arusha airport.

PW to receive new aircraft

Dar es Salaam November 19th, 2009: Precision Air, Tanzania’s leading carrier, has today announced the arrival of its brand new ATR42-500s that will be launched in the country from January 2010 as part of the company’s fleet modernization program.

The new aircraft to be named Kigoma will be followed by two more state-of-the-art aircraft fitted with in-flight entertainment to be delivered in the same year.

In 2006 PW and ATR of France signed a US $129 million deal to deliver seven brand new aircraft. The first of the seven aircraft arrived in March 2008. Since then the airline has received three more ATR 72-500s making a total of four brand new aircraft to-date.

The fleet modernization program will see PW fly the youngest fleet in Africa as older aircraft are replaced with brand new aircraft. So far the airline has retired one ATR42.

Speaking during a press conference at the airline headquarters in Dar es Salaam today, Precision Air’s Managing Director and CEO Mr. Alfonse Kioko, said, “Our goal is to fly the youngest fleet in Africa.”

Mr. Kioko also announced that since the start of the new financial year passenger numbers have increased by 11% compared to the same period last year. He said the cargo business has also increased despite the ongoing recession.

“Business is good, I’m happy to say that passenger numbers as well as cargo have increased and profit is also on the increase,” he said.

Mr. Kioko also announced the commencement of Precision Air Ground Handling Services—a sister company of Precision Air services.

He said since 1st November 2009, the airline has been handling its own aircraft.

“We are eager to get a license that will allow us to handle third party aircraft operating in and out of Tanzania. Overall this will increase competition, efficiency and ultimately be cost effective for the customer,” he said.

Speaking at the same conference, the airline’s Head of Network Planning and Strategy Mr. Patrick Ndekana said the company is expecting a Boeing 737 by mid 2010 that will enable it expand its services to Johannesburg, Lusaka as well as Lubumbashi.