BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
EBOLA CASES IN KENYA, UGANDA
Beginning November 20, 2026, India’s IndiGo airline will launch daily Mumbai-Dar es Salaam flights, in an indication of growing confidence in Tanzania as both a business and tourist destination for the Far East market. Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania, already operates daily flights on the segment.
IndiGo said on their website recently that the new connection would support tourism, trade, investment and educational exchanges between India and Tanzania.
“By enhancing direct connectivity, we aim to facilitate greater mobility, deepen economic engagement and bring people and businesses closer,” said Aloke Singh, IndiGo’s chief strategy officer, on the airline’s website.
IndiGo expands Tz air links
Privately owned IndiGo is India’s largest low cost airline with over 40 international destinations mainly in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Gulf and Africa. It operates a fleet of over 400 aircraft, including Airbus. The 20-year old airline dominates the domestic market with over 90 destinations in India.
IndiGo Flight 6E 1851 will depart Mumbai at 2.20am and arrive in Dar es Salaam at 6.05am. The return service, IndiGo 6E 1852, will leave Dar es Salaam at 7.05am and reach Mumbai at 3.55pm. All times are local, and the announced schedule remains subject to regulatory approvals.
Long absent from the Tanzanian skies, British Airways (BA) have also announced a comeback with three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Boeing’s 777 aircraft. The airline said recently that they would start flying from London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) and Zanzibar on May 29, 2027, before curving back home. Their seasonal programme will run until October 31, 2027.
The announcement followed the restoration of services by at least three other international airlines in recent years: Air France returned to Dar es Salaam in 2023 and KIA in 2024. South African Airways (SAA) returned to Dar es Salaam in January 2025 and the Gulf’s Etihad Airways returned to Zanzibar in June 2026.
“We’re excited to be launching flights to two exceptional new destinations that showcase the very best of Tanzania,” said Neil Chernoff, BAs’ chief planning and strategy officer. The London service will provide non-stop flights to Kilimanjaro, the gateway to Arusha and the northern safari circuit, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks.
International tourist arrivals reached approximately 2.29 million in 2025, up from 2.14 million in 2024 while tourism earnings increased by 13 per cent to US$4.41 billion, according to the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators summary of the tourism sector survey.
Airline announcements pointed to commercial factors behind the renewed interest in Tanzania as a destination. IndiGo cited demand from trade, investment, tourism and cultural ties while Etihad attributed its Zanzibar return to strong summer demand and improved connections through its Abu Dhabi hub.
