Wings of … oops! just passed it silently
Flight experience of ATCL’s new Airbus 220
So I flew the new Airbus 220 that the Government of Tanzania purchased (payment upfront) from Canada. The much celebrated new fleet arrival was feted by government officials, ruling party (CCM) members and jubilant fans of the current administration. Some of us who deemed and continue to deem that this was not a wise investment for the government to be making at this point. Some areas of priority that could use a few hundred million dollars worth of investment is education for example as according to UNICEF (its source is official national statistics — important to note as it may mean criminal offence to quote/publish data that contradicts government statistics in Tanzania) “An estimated 2 million children between the ages of 7 and 13 years are out of school. Almost 70 per cent of children aged 14–17 years are not enrolled in secondary education while a mere 3.2 per cent are enrolled for the final two years of schooling.”
But apparently criticism can lead to being labelled the Enemy of the State for being “negative! negative! negative!” and repeatedly mocked for being naysayers. Nonetheless it is fair to say, the planes are bought — lock, stock and barrel. I am sure the Canadians will not take back the planes and return our money, so might just as well see what service our National airline offers and how we can salvage and get some returns on the investment.
Thus my trip from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, which I initially thought may even include a ride on the huge Dreamliner ended up my experiencing of a flight on the Airbus.
So first of all, flight left 30 minutes late but the pilot managed to catch up in flight. Entering the plane, the smell of “new-ness” was still trailing in the cabin. Seats and carpet were clean — not too bad leg room (although rarely am I satisfied on economy with my legs) .
The screens are tiny and serve to only show basic information, I can’t imagine watching an entire film on those tiny screens, but then for short to medium routes, rarely is there entertainment to offer. So do carry a book, laptop full of work, or tab with movies if you are not planning to sleep through the flight.
The exit, safety card and even the engine and wings are clearly labelled in English and Kiswahili — professionally prepared with attention to detail. It is worth checking back say in a year or two to see how the plane is being maintained.
The crew was pleasant and attentive but we the passengers were also quite a pleasant crowd on this flight , most of the people dozing and sleeping so didn’t expect any drama. Nonetheless the flight attendants kept their smiles and dutifully handed out snacks and drinks and assisted the inexperienced passengers.
So take off! And as I love sitting by the window, taking photos with my phone at times producing extremely interesting photos of scenery from above or of clouds, this time as well I was seated no only at the window but on the right side. You will find out why that was important... And as you can see there were lovely moments when the sun peeked out and I saw some very interesting cloud formations.
As we progressed, I decided to read, however I kept looking out of the window often. I suddenly saw that above the clouds there were tiny peaks of a mountain range. I looked up to the screen to see where the plane was. I wasn’t sure somewhere between Dar es Salaam and Arusha I thought, maybe Uluguru mountains? Then after a short while I saw Mt Kilimanjaro!
I thought to myself surely this is a fantastic view — as the two peaks were visible and the sun was shining brightly. As we drew near, I even woke up the Western passenger in front of me who I took for a tourist and said “look Kilimanjaro, there coming up!” — to which she appreciatively looked out. Then suddenly just as we were about to get a great view, the plane lurched in the opposite direction! Oh no! it changed route, and all this time — the pilot and crew were silent, no announcement of the mountain. Air Tanzania’s motto has been “The Wings of Kilimanjaro” for ages and here we are flying over this majestic mountain that we are all so proud of, and .. no mention! I was flabbergasted and wondered what was going on.
In few minutes we flew over the Ngorongoro crater and by the time I was able to discern that it was the crater, we had flew over it but managed a very shaky shot, while explaining to passengers nearby what we were seeing. Then we could see the expanse of the Serengeti plains. Breathtaking! And still no announcement, nothing!
Eventually the co-pilot announced that we are about to land in Mwanza and then added “those passengers seated on the right, were able to get a view of Mt Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater.” Several passengers started craning their necks but to no avail! “Thanks Captain!” I muttered quite loudly and the passing flight attendant caught that and whispered, “Sorry!”
Then as I reviewed my photos I realized that the windows were dirty so there were smudges in the middle of my Mt Kilimanjaro photos. Ah well! After tinkering with a few apps, I managed to get some decent photos.
So to cut the long story short — this is one of the most picturesque flights and it is a great way to showcase Tanzania to passengers especially visitors. Crew should be trained and sensitized to announcing major features.
All in all, no major complaints, but I keep asking what the service and state of planes will be like in a year’s time. These planes were bought at a huge cost from taxpayers’ money, it should be protected as an investment. ATCL needs to understand that they are service providers primarily so they have to ensure a great experience for passengers. Honestly somewhere many of us cannot forget that in the past ATC stood for Any Time Cancellation, therefore simply new planes will not increase confidence unless more effort is put in punctuality and good service. And as they say the Devil is in the details, show and tell us why it is called the Wings of Kilimanjaro.
