Air Tanzania director opens up over the Airbus A220 incident

In a press conference held today, February 29, 2024, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) director general, Ladislaus Matindi, addressed recent reports regarding an incident involving one of the company's Airbus A220 aircraft.

Mr Matindi began by shedding light on the incident that occurred during a flight to Mbeya, saying there was no fire in the engine as reported earlier by some media.

He noted that it was just a minor incident that did not warrant immediate public disclosure, as doing so might have provoked unnecessary concern.

"After the aircraft departed, there was a smell of smoke, followed by smoke itself inside the cabin. It was caused by a fault in one of the engines that had overheated," he noted.

Acknowledging the concern this might have caused among passengers, he added, "Indeed, it is quite common for there to be fear among passengers when there's smoke in an aircraft, as they don't understand what's happening."

However, he reassured me that it wasn't to the extent that it caused distress, as there was no fire in the engine.

"That is why we took immediate safety measures carried out by our crew onboard," he added.

Explaining the swift actions taken, Mr Matindi noted, "The smoke persisted for about five minutes before dissipating, along with the engine being shut down."

He continued, "Out of caution, despite the fact that the aircraft could have continued its journey using one engine, the captain decided to return the aircraft to Dar es Salaam for a safe landing."

Addressing the passenger welfare aspect, he noted that they arranged for the passengers to board another aircraft.

"104 out of 122 passengers agreed and departed on the same day on another flight, while 18 passengers requested for their flight to be rescheduled," he noted.

Refuting claims of panic and 'exaggerated accounts', Mr Matindi stated firmly, "Safety of both passengers and aircraft is our number one priority at Air Tanzania."

He added that engine malfunctions can occur at any time, but "it's how we respond to such incidents that matter, and that's what we did."

Further, Mr Matindi emphasised that the Airbus engine had just returned from maintenance.

He reiterated that they were committed to transparency and ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers at all times.

The director's detailed clarification aimed to reassure passengers and stakeholders alike, emphasising the proactive and safety-focused approach of Air Tanzania Company Limited.

He said no one fainted on board the flight, as reported by the media.

"How come people fainted yet there was no ambulance available at the time of the safety landing? Why is it that there was no passenger who needed any medical attention?" Mr Matindi queried.