Coastal Air

Coastal Aviation is a Tanzanian private airline operating under the Coastal Air name used in the Wikipedia subject Coastal Air (Tanzania). Its main office is at The Slipway in the Masaki area of Dar es Salaam, while its airline operations are based at Julius Nyerere International Airport, Terminal 1. The company describes itself through the slogan “The Flying Safari Company,” reflecting its close connection with Tanzania’s national parks, safari lodges, conservation areas, and tourism infrastructure. The airline began in 1987 as a purely charter operator. Its initial operation used a single aircraft on a route between Dar es Salaam and the Selous Game Reserve. From that narrow beginning, it developed into an aviation business serving safari destinations and remote airstrips that are difficult to reach by road or by larger commercial aircraft. Charter flying remained an important part of its business, including scenic flights and medical evacuation services, while the company also established scheduled operations centered principally on Dar es Salaam and Arusha. By the period described in the available reference material, Coastal Aviation served more than 42 destinations across Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. Its network included tourism-oriented destinations and airstrips associated with Tanzania’s major wildlife and safari regions, including the Serengeti. The combination of scheduled services and charter work allowed the airline to serve both individual travelers using published routes and groups or organizations requiring dedicated aircraft movements. The airline’s operating model is closely tied to the geography of East Africa. Rather than functioning primarily as a mass-market trunk carrier, Coastal Aviation’s role is that of a regional and safari-focused airline connecting major Tanzanian gateways with remote tourism destinations. Its services can support transfers between cities, airports, camps, reserves, and lodges, as well as specialized missions such as sightseeing and medevac flights. This positioning makes aircraft capable of operating from smaller or less-developed airstrips central to the company’s business. The reference material reports that the airline employed approximately 300 staff members in 2020 and carried approximately 150,000 passengers during 2019. It also describes a fleet of 14 aircraft in one 2020 overview and a fleet of 22 aircraft in a December 2020 fleet listing; the differing figures likely reflect different counting dates or fleet definitions, so neither figure should be treated as a current fleet size. Specific current fleet composition, ownership structure, financial performance, executive leadership, and present-day route coverage are not established by the supplied sources. Coastal Aviation’s history also includes serious safety events in 2017. On 25 October, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed after landing at Lobo Airstrip in Serengeti National Park; the aircraft was badly damaged, while the pilot and two passengers were injured and the remaining passengers survived without reported injuries. On 15 November, another Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed near Empakaai Camp in the Arusha Region while traveling toward Serengeti National Park, killing the pilot and ten tourists. The available reference describes the circumstances of the latter accident as unclear. These incidents are relevant to the airline’s historical record, but the available material does not establish a broader regulatory finding or corporate scandal.

Coastal Aviation began operations in Tanzania in 1987 as a charter airline. Its first operation used one aircraft to connect Dar es Salaam with the Selous Game Reserve, establishing the safari and remote-destination focus that later became central to the brand. The company’s early role was not that of a large scheduled carrier, but of an aviation provider serving tourism operators and travelers who needed access to wildlife areas and airstrips outside Tanzania’s principal cities. Over time, Coastal Aviation expanded beyond its original charter-only model. It developed scheduled services, operating mainly through Dar es Salaam and Arusha, while retaining charter flying as a substantial part of its activity. Its charter portfolio included private and group movements, scenic flights, and medical evacuation operations. This combination gave the airline flexibility to serve both published passenger routes and destinations requiring tailored aircraft arrangements. The company’s development followed the geography of Tanzania’s tourism economy. Coastal Aviation connected urban gateways with national parks, reserves, safari camps, and other remote destinations. Its network eventually extended beyond Tanzania to neighboring Kenya and Rwanda. The reference material describes more than 42 destinations across the three countries, presenting the airline as an East African flying-safari operator rather than a conventional long-haul or mass-market airline. The airline operated a mixed fleet of small aircraft suitable for regional and safari flying. The available reference material gives two different fleet counts for 2020: an overview refers to 14 aircraft, while a December 2020 listing refers to 22 aircraft. Because the sources do not explain the discrepancy, the figures may reflect different dates, aircraft categories, or counting methods. A current fleet list is not established here. Coastal Aviation’s business scale was described in the supplied material as approximately 300 employees in May 2020 and approximately 150,000 passengers carried during 2019. These figures provide historical context rather than current operating statistics. The company’s main office was identified as The Slipway in Masaki, Dar es Salaam, and its airport operation was based at Julius Nyerere International Airport’s Terminal 1. Its brand slogan, “The Flying Safari Company,” summarizes its market identity and association with safari travel. The airline experienced two significant aircraft accidents in October and November 2017. On 25 October, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed after landing at Lobo Airstrip in Serengeti National Park. The pilot and two passengers were injured, eight other passengers were not reported injured, and the aircraft was badly damaged. On 15 November, another Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, carrying one pilot and ten tourists, crashed near Empakaai Camp while en route to Serengeti National Park. All eleven people aboard died. The available source does not provide a conclusive explanation for the second accident, and the incidents should not be characterized as a corporate scandal without additional evidence. The supplied material does not establish a founder, parent company, current owner, listed status, named executives, current financial results, or a definitive present-day fleet and route map. Coastal Aviation is nevertheless described as an operating Tanzanian airline with regional reach and a business model built around scheduled and charter aviation for safari, remote-access, scenic, and specialized travel.

• 2020

  Reported regional operating scale

  [1]Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org

  The airline was described as serving more than 42 destinations across Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda and employing approximately 300 staff members.

• 2019

  Reported passenger volume

  [1]Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org

  The supplied reference reports approximately 150,000 passengers carried during 2019.

• 2017

  Lobo Airstrip accident

  [1]Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org

  On 25 October, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed after landing at Lobo Airstrip in Serengeti National Park, injuring the pilot and two passengers.

• 2017

  Empakaai Camp fatal accident

  [1]Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org

  On 15 November, a Coastal Aviation Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed near Empakaai Camp while flying toward Serengeti National Park, killing all eleven people aboard.

• 1987

  Launch as a charter airline

  [1]Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org

  Coastal Aviation began as a purely charter operator, initially flying between Dar es Salaam and the Selous Game Reserve with a single aircraft.

A safari-focused East African regional airline combining scheduled services with charter, scenic, and medical evacuation operations.

• Passenger air transport

  Scheduled passenger services

  Coastal Aviation operates scheduled regional flights, primarily from Dar es Salaam and Arusha. These services connect Tanzania’s principal urban gateways with tourism destinations and smaller airstrips, forming the regular-service component of a business that also includes private charter operations.

• Tourism aviation · 1987

  Safari air services

  Safari flying is the airline’s defining commercial specialization. Coastal Aviation transports travelers between airports, national parks, reserves, safari camps, and remote airstrips in Tanzania and neighboring East African markets, reducing the need for long overland transfers.

• Air charter · 1987

  Charter flights

  Charter flying has remained an important part of Coastal Aviation’s business since its foundation. The service can support private travelers, tour groups, tourism operators, and other customers requiring dedicated or customized regional air movements.

• Aerial tourism

  Scenic flights

  The airline offers scenic aviation within its broader charter portfolio. These flights are associated with tourism and safari travel, using aerial access to present Tanzania’s wildlife and landscape destinations from the air.

• Medical aviation

  Medevac flights

  Medical evacuation is identified as another component of Coastal Aviation’s charter activity. The service supports specialized transport needs in a region where travelers and communities may be far from major medical centers.

1. 1Coastal Air (Tanzania)en.wikipedia.org