Precision Air
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| Founded |
1993 Arusha, Tanzania | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC # | 032 | |||
| Hubs | Julius Nyerere International Airport | |||
| Focus cities | Mwanza Airport | |||
| Frequent-flyer program | PAA Royalties | |||
| Alliance | Kenya Airways | |||
| Subsidiaries | Precision Handling Limited | |||
| Fleet size | 10 | |||
| Destinations | 9 | |||
| Company slogan | You Are Why We Fly | |||
| Headquarters | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania[1] | |||
| Key people |
| |||
| Revenue |
 TSh 141.3 billion (FY 2014) | |||
| Profit |
 TSh (11.4) billion (FY 2014) | |||
| Website |
precisionairtz | |||
Precision Air Services Plc (operating as Precision Air; DSE:PAL) is a Tanzanian airline based at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam,[2] with a minihub at Mwanza Airport.[3]
In 2013, it had the largest market share of 48.33 per cent.[4] The airline operates scheduled passenger services to Nairobi and airports in Tanzania.[5]
History
Precision Air was incorporated in Tanzania in January 1991 as a private airline and started operations in 1993.[1] At first, it operated as a private charter air transport company but in November 1993 changed to offering scheduled services to serve the growing tourist market.[6][1]
In 2006, Precision Air became the first Tanzanian airline to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit.[7] Its registration will expire 22 September 2016.[8]
In April 2011, the airline became a public company.[1]
Corporate affairs
Shareholders
Precision Air was privately owned until 2003, when Kenya Airways acquired a 49 percent stake, paying US $2 million, weeks after its rival South African Airways acquired a 49 percent stake in Air Tanzania for US $ 20 million. The remaining 51 percent was retained by Michael Shirima, the founder of the airline.[2][9]
In October 2011, Precision Air floated shares in the airline stock in an initial public offering on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, after which Shirima's and Kenya Airways's stakes declined and the new share subscribers owned 15.86 percent.[10] As of March 2013, the major shareholders were:[11]
| Name | No. of Shares | Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Shirima | 68,857,650 | 42.91% |
| Kenya Airways | 66,157,350 | 41.23% |
| Precision Air Employee Share Option Scheme | 1,765,300 | 1.10% |
| Other shareholders | 23,689,500 | 14.76% |
| Total | 160,469,800 | 100.00% |
Business trends
The trends for the Precision Air group over recent years are shown below. Because it was a private company until 2011, published figures were not generally available before the initial public offering prospectus[1] of 12 September 2011. The figures for the group (Precision Air Services Plc and its subsidiaries Precision Handling Limited and Precise Systems Limited) (as at year ending 31 March) are:
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover (TZS m) | 54,341 | 57,988 | 84,344 | 92,493 | 113,606 | 163,061 | 181,358 | 141,262 |
| Profits (PBT) (TZS m) | 5,534 | 5,671 | 2,818 | 1,924 | 2,159 | 1,841 | −30,812 | −11,400 |
| Number of employees | 576 | 657 | 704 | 717 | 608 | |||
| Number of passengers ('000) | 465 | 538 | 667 | 825 | 896 | 688 | ||
| Passenger load factor (%) | 64 | 58 | 62 | 65 | ||||
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | |||
| Notes/sources | [1] | [1] | [1] | [1] | [11] | [11][12] | [13] | [14] |
Precision Air reported in August 2013 that for the year ending 31 March 2013, its maintenance costs increased to 23.6 billion Tanzanian shillings from 11.9 billion for the previous year. The increase was caused primarily by the high cost of maintaining its Boeing 737 fleet.[15]
Published reports in June 2013 indicated that Precision Air had encountered substantial financial difficulties, stemming in part from losses incurred while operating flights to and from Johannesburg, South Africa.[16] Those flights ended in September 2012.[17] The Citizen, a Tanzanian newspaper, reported in August 2013 that the airline "desperately" needed a US $32 million bailout package from the Tanzanian government or other non-shareholder sources.[18] The airline's problems increased in 2011 when it received only US $7.4 million of the US $17.5 million in cash that the airline hoped to receive when first listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.[18][19] Increasing fuel prices, taxes, and levies plus currency fluctuations and the refusal of minority owner Kenya Airways to contribute capital had also hurt the airline.[18]
Destinations
As of September 2014, the airline serves the following destinations:
| Hub | |
| Future | |
| Suspended route |
| City | Country | IATA | ICAO | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arusha |  Tanzania | ARK | HTAR | Arusha Airport |
| Bukoba | Tanzania | BKZ | HTBU | Bukoba Airport |
| Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | DAR | HTDA | Julius Nyerere International Airport [Hub] |
| Entebbe |  Uganda | EBB | HUEN | Entebbe International Airport |
| Kigoma | Tanzania | TKQ | HTKA | Kigoma Airport |
| Arusha and Moshi | Tanzania | JRO | HTKJ | Kilimanjaro International Airport |
| Mbeya | Tanzania | none | HTGW | Songwe Airport[20] |
| Moroni |  Comoros | HAH | FMCH | Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport[21] |
| Mtwara | Tanzania | MYW | HTMT | Mtwara Airport |
| Mwanza | Tanzania | MWZ | HTMW | Mwanza Airport |
| Nairobi |  Kenya | NBO | HKJK | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport |
| Zanzibar | Tanzania | ZNZ | HTZA | Abeid Amani Karume International Airport |
Codeshare agreements
Precision Air has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
- Kenya Airways (various routes)[22]
- LAM Mozambique Airlines (Maputo–Nampula–Pemba–Dar es Salaam)[23]
- RwandAir (Kigali–Kilimanjaro)[24]
Interline agreements
Precision Air has an interline agreement with Qatar Airways, allowing the latter's passengers to connect to other East African destinations such as Arusha and Zanzibar via Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro International Airport.[25] This agreement includes e-ticketing.[26]
Precision Air also has interline agreements for baggage and paper ticketing purposes with Alitalia, British Airways (also e-ticketing), Delta Air Lines (also e-ticketing), TAAG Angola Airlines (also e-ticketing), Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines (also e-ticketing), Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Air Seychelles (also e-ticketing), Hahn Air (also e-ticketing), KLM (also e-ticketing), Kenya Airways (also e-ticketing), Swiss International Air Lines, Egyptair, Air Malawi, South African Airways (also e-ticketing), SN Brussels Airlines, Saudia, LAM Mozambique Airlines (also e-ticketing), Virgin Atlantic Airlines (also e-ticketing), RwandAir, Oman Air, Heli Air Monaco, and Zambezi Airlines.[26]
Fleet
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_F-WWEW_-_MSN_923_-_Named_Kilimandjaro_-_Will_be_5H-PWG_(5000147631).jpg)
Current fleet
The Precision Air fleet includes the following aircraft (as of July 2013):[27]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| ATR 42-320 | 1 | — | 0 | 48 | 48 | |
| ATR 42-500 | 2 | — | 0 | 48 | 48 | |
| ATR 42-600 | 2 | 2 | [28] | |||
| ATR 72-500 | 5 | — | 0 0 |
70 66 |
70 66 |
5H-PWG is configured with only 66 seats |
| ATR 72-600 | — | 1 | Delivery in 2015 [28] | |||
| Total | 10 | 3 | ||||
Retired fleet
The company has previously operated the following equipment:
Accidents and incidents
According to Aviation Safety Network, as of September 2014 Precision Air has had four accidents or incidents.[29]
- 26 July 1999: A Let L-410UVP-E9, tail number 5H-PAB, made a belly landing at Arusha Airport on a training flight while doing touch and go. The two crew and three passengers were not injured.[30]
- 16 November 2004: A Let L-410UVP-E20, tail number 5H-PAC, crash landed while on a training flight at Kilimanjaro Airport. The two pilots, who had not put on their shoulder straps, sustained facial injuries.[31]
- 8 July 2007: An ATR 72-212, tail number 5H-PAR, had a runway excursion on landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport runway 06. It veered off to the right, went over a ditch, and came to a stop on Taxiway F. The nose wheel collapsed. The four crew and 62 passengers were not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The probable cause of this accident was power asymmetry during application of reverse thrust on landing. The control levers were jammed in one position.[32]
- 10 July 2014: An ATR 72-500, tail number 5H-PWA, was halfway en route to Dar es Salaam from Mwanza during normal cruise when the number 2 engine seized. This necessitated a diversion to Kilimanjaro International Airport. The aircraft touched down normally; however, after selecting ground idle (as per the captain's explanation), the aircraft veered to the left side and exited the runway hitting one of the runway edge lights and proceeded to roll on the grass field parallel to runway 09 for approximately 180 meters before subsequently regaining the runway. No injuries were reported.[33]
On 13 December 2013, an ATR 42-600 (5H–PWI) made a safe landing at Arusha Airport after its four tires deflated upon landing. All 37 passengers and 4 crew were safe. The airline subsequently explained that higher braking forces, necessitated by the aircraft landing with a tail wind, caused the deflations.[34]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Prospectus". 12 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 2007. p. 65.
- ↑ "Precision Air enhances its operations from Mwanza". 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ↑ "Domestic Air Operators: % Market Share" (PDF). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ↑ Travel Planner: Destinations, Precision Air, accessed 8 November 2014
- ↑ "Precision Air History". Precision Air. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ↑ "Precision Air - Apg". Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ↑ Precision Air Services, Ltd., International Air Transport Association, accessed 28 September 2014
- ↑ "Kenya Airways To Buy 49% of Precision Air"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Directors Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2013". 31 August 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ "Super Brand Precision Air (PW) pleased with 2012/2013 performance", The Financial Junction, 17 April 2013
- ↑ "Directors' Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2013". Precision Air. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Directors' Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2014". Precision Air. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ↑ Releases/Precision Air Financial Results.pdf "Precision Air Financial Results 2012/2013". Precision Air. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ↑ "Precision Air's financial troubles go into public domain", eTurboNews, reported by Wolfgang H. Thome, 10 June 2013
- ↑ "Precision Air to Cancel Johannesburg Service from mid-Sep 2012", Airline Route, 27 August 2012
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Precision Air's Sh51bn bailout appeal to State", The Citizen, reported by Veneranda Sumila, 14 August 2013
- ↑ "Precision Air looks to other lenders after poor IPO show", 'The East African', 4 December 2011
- ↑ "Precision Air Announces Temporary Suspension of Mbeya Operations". Precision Air. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ↑ "Precision Air to start direct flights to Kigoma, Bukoba". The Guardian. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ↑ "Partners & Alliances". Kenya Airways. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ↑ "Precision Air enters into code share with Mozambique Airlines". Precision Air. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ↑ "Partners and Alliances.". RwandAir. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ↑ "Qatar Airways and Precision Air announce partnership" (Pressrelease). Qatar Airways. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Travel Information, Expert Flyer, accessed 23 December 2014, subscription service
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Tanzania's Precision Air goes all prop after last 737 is withdrawn
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Tanzania’s Precision Air Services signs contract for 5 ATR -600s".
- ↑ "Accident record for Precision Air". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ Accident description for 5H-PAB at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 8 April 2012.
- ↑ Accident description for 5H-PAC at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 8 April 2012.
- ↑ Accident description for 5H-PAR at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 8 April 2012.
- ↑ Accident description for 5H-PWA at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2014-27-9.
- ↑ "Update: Precision ATR 42-600 Blew All Main Tires on Landing at Arusha on Dec 13 Resumed to Service", The Aviation Herald, 17 December 2013
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Precision Air. |
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