Air Tanzania, on June 3rd, took delivery of its first Boeing 767-300F freighter aircraft, which arrived at the airline's hub at Dar es Salaam (DAR). This milestone delivery marks the first 767 freighter aircraft to be delivered to an African carrier directly from Boeing. Other airlines, such as Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian, also fly the type, but as converted freighters at the end of their passenger service life.
The aircraft
The Boeing 767-300F has been highly popular among air cargo operators, and despite being succeeded by the Boeing 777-F, the aircraft is still efficiently used by many carriers around the world these days for cargo operations.
The excellent fuel efficiency and operational flexibility of the 767-300F enable Air Tanzania to cater to the growing cargo capacity requirement in the region in a more sustainable manner. The aircraft is capable of flying 3,255 nautical miles (6,028 km), carrying a maximum revenue payload of over 52 tonnes. This makes the 767 freighter the perfect aircraft type for Air Tanzania, whose aim is to help grow the region's commerce and support the export/import markets.
Photo: Yatrik Sheth | Shutterstock
While previously Air Tanzania transported cargo, the airline had to use the belly hold of its passenger aircraft and thus was limited to the carrier's passenger route network. However, with the arrival of the airline's first Dedicated freight aircraft, the carrier can now expand its cargo operations in capacity and reach.
Cargo markets available
Currently, the airline's passenger aircraft operate to destinations within the African continent and Asia with a fleet of 11 aircraft comprising of Dash 8-Q400s, the Airbus A220-300s, and two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
However, with the addition of the 767 freighter to the carrier's fleet, the airline has new markets open to serve. Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Africa Sales and Marketing, Anbessie Yitbarek, commented,
"Air Tanzania's cargo customers now have far more options as the airline boosts freight connectivity between Africa, Europe, The Middle East, and Asia."
To know more about the carrier's cargo expansion plans and the advantages of having a dedicated freight aircraft, Simple Flying has reached out to Air Tanzania. Any response received from the airline will be updated in this article.
More about the Boeing 767-300F
Despite being first introduced as a passenger aircraft in 1982 and, due to its popularity, converted to a freighter version in 1993, the type is still in production today. The 767 freighter is the cargo version of the manufacturer's popular Boeing 767-300 passenger aircraft.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Boeing states that the 767-300F is still "the best fit in the midsized freighter market." It is so popular that cargo giant FedEx recently took delivery of its 125th 767-300 Freighter. To improve the type's operating efficiency, Boeing offers carriers the option to add winglets to the aircraft, enhancing its fuel economics in flight.
While ordering a new aircraft can be expensive, some carriers wishing to make use of the advantages offered by the 767 have opted for the more economical option of having their existing passenger 767s converted into freighter jets.
The advantage of passenger-to-freight conversion is that while airlines can maintain passenger capacity by ordering newer and more technically advanced aircraft available in the market today, the carriers can extend the lives of their exiting 767s by converting them to cargo aircraft and thus increase the airline's cargo capacity.
