An aircraft operators guide to Tanzania and operating through Dar es Salaam (HTDA/DAR)
Updated: Jun 20, 2021
The United Republic of Tanzania sits within the African Great Lakes region in eastern Africa, with a 1,424 km (885 mile) coastline nestling against the Indian Ocean and with the Comoros Islands a mere 375 kms to the east. Tanzania shares land borders with Uganda to the north, Kenya to the northeast, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Located south of the equator Tanzania is the largest country in Eastern Africa, with a land area of 881,289 sq. km on the mainland and a further 2,460 sq. km on its nearby Island of Zanzibar (Land of Spices). Boasting a number of world renowned destinations including the Serengeti National Park with its array of amazing wildlife in their natural environment, Ngorongoro Crater, Julius Nyerere Park Lake and Mount Kilimanjaro which located in north eastern Tanzania is a mecca for professional and amateur adventures alike as they challenge themselves against Africa's highest mountain. Take time to think about which airport maybe closest to your passengers chosen activity, seek out expert advice on which airport makes most operational sense based on the purpose of your trip. Dar es Salaam is the country’s largest city and the economic capital of Tanzania, located in a quiet bay off the Indian Ocean coast its bustling harbour is Tanzania’s main port. The city’s economic importance has grown over recent years as it developed into a prosperous center with importance for the entire East African region. Served by Julius Nyerere International Airport (HTDA/DAR), the largest airport in Tanzania, which has recently expanded with the construction of a new modern terminal building (JNIA-TBIII). Terminal 3 serves regional and international flights, Terminal 2 now handles purely domestic flights whilst Terminal 1 continues to support charter, private, diplomatic and military flights. Along with the majority of Tanzania Airports HTDA/DAR is operated by Tanzania Airport Authority whilst all services are regulated are under Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA). It is advisable for all operators to arrange landing permits, ground handling, CIQ assistance, inflight catering and crew / pax ground transport in advance to ensure smooth operations through all Tanzanian airports. Dar es Salaam is not a slot-controlled airport however Permit and Clearance authorisation is needed to land all Aerodromes in Tanzania, including HTDA. Tanzania Landing Clearance have a validity of - 48 hours / + 72 hours around your planned operations to allow for delays or schedule changes. The TCAA is responsible for issuing landing clearances and you need to allow at least 72 hours prior to your ETA for your request to be submitted to the authority. All approved landing permissions allow for an aircraft to be on the ground for a maximum of 7 days, beyond that you will need a permit extension. There are both VIP and commercial ground handling options at HTDA although it is recommended to use a supervisory agent for business and VIP flights to ensure coordination of all prior arrangements and a trusted credit line is in place to cover operations.
A good supervisory agent will coordinate with the local service providers and ensure a VIP style service is delivered whilst removing the need for air crews to be paying by cash on the ground for services such as handling, catering and ground transportation etc. Credit cards are generally not accepted.
Catering facilities are available but as with most locations advance notice is needed for your order to prepared. All passengers will need to undergo CIQ while crew can enter on General Declaration (GD) which will allow them to stay to the maximum of 72 hours / 3 days, beyond that a visa will be required which can be obtained on arrival for many nationalities. At the time of writing (02nd June 2020) Tanzania has recently eased its COVID-19 travel restrictions with all commercial passenger flights ops into and out of the United Republic of Tanzania now being allowed, please contact us for the latest information. Cabotage is permitted in Tanzania but landing in more than two aerodromes within Tanzania will attract additional a Short-Term License Fee (STLF), The following airports can be considered as alternatives to HTDA/DAR;
Abeid Aman Karume International Airport – HTZA/ZNZ
Kilimanjaro International Airport – HTKJ/JRO
In addition to the International airports listed above there are also non-International Airports which serves as airports of entry (AOE) namely;
Dodoma Airport – HTDO
Kigoma Airport – HTKA
Mtwara Airport – HTMT
Musoma Airport – HTMU
Mwanza Airport – HTMW
Pemba Airport – HTPE
Songwe Airport – HTGW
Tabora Airport – HTTB
Tanga Airport – HTTG
Below are some details for Dar es Salaam (HTDA/DAR) but please do reach out to us directly for any further information and to discovery how G.A.S. can support your operations through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and across the African continent ops24@gasaviation.com Useful Airport Information Airport name: Julius Nyerere International Airport ICAO indicator: HTDA IATA indicator: DAR Code reference: 4E GPS Location: S06-52.7/E039-12.2 Elevation (ASL): 182 FT Tower Freq: 118.3 Run Way: 1 Runway 05/23 is 3000M long and 46M wide 2 Runway 14/32 is 1000M long and 30M wide PCN: 063FAWT Fire: CAT9 Operating Hrs: 24 / 7 / 365 Other facilities: Control Tower Radar Station Meteorological Observation Stations Fire Station CAT 9 In-flight Catering Kitchen Cargo Terminal Fuel Farm Maintenance Hangar