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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

► TANZANIA: Precision Air goes all prop as last 737 is withdrawn from service.

Precision Air Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) has reportedly retired its last remaining B737-300 (MSN 28573 | 5H-PKS) from service with the aircraft now listed by a US-based leasing firm as being available for either sale or lease immediately. The move effectively leaves the Dar-es-Salaam based carrier with an exclusively turboprop fleet of five ATR42s and five ATR72-500s.

MSN 28573 in Precision Air colours last year (AviationTanzania)
The 737 last featured on the airline's Dar-es-Salaam - Lubumbashi - Lusaka - Dar-es-Salaam route that was cancelled on July 1 as part of the airline’s efforts to "consolidate its strategic market presence and focus on growing strong domestic demand and other more lucrative markets" as announced by new CEO, Sauda S. Rajab, during the airline's operational review in June.

While the airline is still intent on launching its repeatedly postponed Harare flights, the absence of jet aircraft (for the meantime) throws further doubt on Precision's previously announced expansion plans of launching new services to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Angola and Mozambique by 2016.