Precision Air
Precision Air is a Tanzanian scheduled airline serving domestic destinations and selected regional routes in East Africa.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Precision Air is a Tanzanian passenger airline operated by Precision Air Services Plc and headquartered at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Its network is centered on Tanzania, linking Dar es Salaam with domestic airports and airstrips that serve major cities, islands, tourism destinations, and regional communities. The airline also operates selected international services, including routes to Nairobi in Kenya and the Comoros. Its business is closely associated with Tanzania’s tourism and domestic-connectivity markets, where scheduled air services connect Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Bukoba, and other points in the country. The company was incorporated in January 1991 as a private Tanzanian airline and began flying in 1993. It initially operated charter services, but moved into scheduled operations in November 1993 as demand grew from Tanzania’s tourism sector. The airline later expanded its regional profile and fleet, including the introduction of a Boeing 737-300 made available through Kenya Airways in 1999. Precision Air’s relationship with Kenya Airways became strategically important: Kenya Airways acquired a 49 percent interest in 2003, while founder Michael Shirima retained the remaining 51 percent at that time. The stake was subsequently diluted when Precision Air became publicly listed. Precision Air became the first Tanzanian airline to complete the IATA Operational Safety Audit in 2006. It converted to public-company status in April 2011 and completed an initial public offering on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange in October of that year. The public offering created a wider shareholder base and reduced the holdings of the principal pre-IPO owners. Precision Air is included in the Tanzania All Share Index. The airline has operated through a difficult financial environment. Expansion into Johannesburg produced losses, and those flights were discontinued in September 2012. Reports following the initial public offering also described pressure from fuel costs, taxes, airport and other levies, exchange-rate movements, and inadequate proceeds relative to the capital the company had expected to raise. In 2013, press reports said that the airline was seeking a large recapitalization or bailout. These difficulties occurred while the carrier was attempting to maintain a broad domestic network and regional ambitions in a market exposed to tourism cycles and high operating costs. Precision Air’s operational identity has increasingly been associated with turboprop aircraft suited to relatively short domestic and regional sectors. Its historical fleet included Let L-410 aircraft, ATR 42 aircraft, ATR 72 aircraft, and a Boeing 737-300. The airline has also maintained commercial relationships with larger regional and international carriers. Codeshare or interline arrangements have included Kenya Airways, Etihad Airways, LAM Mozambique Airlines, RwandAir, and Qatar Airways at different times, allowing connecting passengers to reach destinations beyond Precision Air’s own network. The airline remains an important Tanzanian aviation brand, but its record also includes operational incidents and the fatal crash of Flight 494 near Bukoba in November 2022. Nineteen people died in that accident, the first fatal accident in the airline’s history. A Tanzanian Ministry of Transport investigation attributed the crash to an attempted landing in poor weather rather than diverting, while reporting that the first officer had advised against the landing. Precision Air is also subject to the European Union Air Safety List prohibition covering Tanzanian airlines, meaning it is not permitted to operate flights into the EU under that restriction. Current route schedules, fleet composition, ownership details, and executive positions should be checked against the latest company disclosures because they can change over time.
History
Precision Air Services was incorporated in Tanzania in January 1991. It began operations in 1993 as a privately owned charter carrier, serving the aviation needs of Tanzania’s tourism industry. Later in 1993, the company adopted scheduled services, responding to increasing demand for reliable links between Tanzania’s commercial centers, tourism destinations, and airports serving safari areas. The airline expanded during the 1990s. In 1999 it introduced a Boeing 737-300 made available through Kenya Airways, giving it access to a larger jet aircraft for selected routes. A major ownership change followed in 2003, when Kenya Airways acquired 49 percent of Precision Air for US$2 million. Founder Michael Shirima retained the other 51 percent at that stage. The transaction placed Precision Air within a broader East African aviation relationship while leaving the Tanzanian company with its own operating identity. In 2006, Precision Air became the first Tanzanian airline reported to have passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit. This was an important certification milestone for a carrier operating in a tourism-dependent market where safety credentials affect relationships with travel companies, international airlines, and passengers. The company continued to develop its domestic and regional network, using aircraft such as ATR turboprops for short-haul routes and maintaining links to neighboring countries. Precision Air became a public company in April 2011. In October that year it conducted an initial public offering on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. The flotation expanded ownership beyond the founder and Kenya Airways, although the funds raised were lower than the amount the airline had expected to obtain. Precision Air Services Plc subsequently became a component of the Tanzania All Share Index. The airline’s corporate structure also included Precision Handling Limited and Precise Systems Limited. The period after the flotation brought significant financial strain. Precision Air had pursued regional expansion, including flights to Johannesburg, but those services generated losses and ended in September 2012. Reports published in 2013 described pressure caused by fuel-price increases, taxes and airport levies, currency fluctuations, and the gap between anticipated and realized IPO proceeds. The reports also stated that Kenya Airways, as a minority shareholder, had not provided the additional capital that Precision Air sought. A proposed rescue or recapitalization package was reported as potentially requiring tens of millions of US dollars, although such figures belong to the contemporary reporting context rather than a current valuation. Operationally, the airline has experienced a number of incidents. These included training-aircraft accidents in 1999 and 2004, a runway excursion at Nairobi in 2007, a landing incident involving deflated tires at Arusha in 2013, an engine failure and runway excursion in 2014, and bird-strike-related landing difficulties in 2018. Most did not result in fatalities. On 6 November 2022, Precision Air Flight 494, an ATR 42-500 carrying passengers and crew to Bukoba, crashed into Lake Victoria during an attempted landing in poor weather. Nineteen people died. A Ministry of Transport report concluded that the pilot attempted the landing despite adverse conditions and contrary to the first officer’s advice to divert to Mwanza. Precision Air continues to operate as a Tanzanian scheduled airline focused on domestic and nearby regional markets. Its commercial arrangements have included codeshare or interline relationships with airlines such as Kenya Airways, Etihad Airways, LAM Mozambique Airlines, RwandAir, and Qatar Airways. The carrier’s strategic value remains tied to domestic mobility and tourism connectivity, while its principal challenges include fleet economics, route profitability, safety oversight, weather-related operational risk, and access to capital. The airline is prohibited from flying into the European Union under the EU Air Safety List restriction applying to Tanzanian airlines.
- 2022
Flight 494 fatal accident
[1]An ATR 42 crashed in Lake Victoria while approaching Bukoba, killing 19 people.
- 2012
Johannesburg route ends
[1]The airline discontinued Johannesburg services after losses on the route.
- 2011
Public-company conversion and stock-market flotation
[1]The company became public in April and floated shares on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange in October.
- 2006
IATA Operational Safety Audit milestone
[1]Precision Air became the first Tanzanian airline reported to have passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit.
- 2003
Kenya Airways acquires 49 percent stake
[1]Kenya Airways became a major shareholder, while Michael Shirima retained the balance at the time.
- 1999
Boeing 737-300 introduced
[1]Precision Air introduced a Boeing 737-300 made available through Kenya Airways.
- 1993
Operations begin and scheduled services introduced
[1]The airline began operating and changed from a charter model to scheduled services later that year.
- 1991
Company incorporated in Tanzania
[1]Precision Air Services was incorporated as a private Tanzanian airline in January.
Products and positioning
A Tanzanian domestic and regional airline focused on scheduled connectivity, tourism traffic, and short-haul services using turboprop aircraft.
Airline service · 1993
Domestic scheduled passenger services
Precision Air’s core offering is scheduled passenger transportation between Tanzanian cities, islands, airports, and smaller airstrips. The network supports business travel, domestic mobility, tourism, and connections to destinations that may be difficult to reach by surface transport. Routes have included links involving Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, and Bukoba, although exact schedules and destinations vary over time.
Airline service
Regional passenger services
The airline operates selected short-haul international services from Tanzania to nearby East African and Indian Ocean markets, including Nairobi and the Comoros. These flights extend Precision Air’s role beyond domestic transport and can connect with partner airlines through commercial agreements. Regional operations remain focused on relatively short sectors suited to the carrier’s turboprop-oriented fleet.
Airline service · 1991
Charter air transport
Precision Air began as a private charter operator serving tourism-related demand in Tanzania. Although scheduled passenger services became its principal public identity, charter flying represents an important part of the company’s historical development and its connection with safari, leisure, and group travel markets.
Brand decisions
2012
Withdrawal from JohannesburgStrategyBackground
Flights to and from Johannesburg generated losses amid the airline’s broader regional expansion.
Action taken
Precision Air discontinued Johannesburg services in September.
Aftermath
The route closure removed an unprofitable international operation but was followed by reports of continuing financial stress.
2011
Initial public offeringStrategyBackground
The privately held airline needed a broader ownership base and access to public capital markets.
Action taken
Precision Air converted to a public company and offered shares on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
New shareholders acquired a minority portion of the company, but the proceeds were reportedly below the amount anticipated in the offering plans.
Cash expected from IPO versus reported amount received. US$17.5 million expected → US$7.4 million reported received (2011 initial public offering)
2003
Kenya Airways investmentM&ABackground
Precision Air sought strategic support and regional airline connectivity as it developed beyond its original charter business.
Action taken
Kenya Airways acquired a 49 percent stake in Precision Air.
Aftermath
Kenya Airways became a major shareholder and commercial partner, while Precision Air continued operating as a Tanzanian airline.
Acquisition consideration. US$2 million (2003 transaction)
1993
Shift from charter flying to scheduled servicesStrategyBackground
Precision Air was established as a private charter airline, but Tanzania’s growing tourism market created demand for regular scheduled connections.
Action taken
The company began offering scheduled passenger services in November 1993.
Aftermath
The change established the operating model that became the foundation of Precision Air’s domestic and regional airline business.
Recent events
- 2022
Precision Air Flight 494 crashes near Bukoba[1]
Other
An ATR 42 crashed in Lake Victoria while approaching Bukoba Airport, killing 19 people. It was the first fatal accident in Precision Air’s history.
- 2013
Reports highlight Precision Air’s need for recapitalization[1]
Other
Published reports described severe financial pressure and called for a substantial bailout or other capital support, citing route losses, fuel prices, taxes, levies, currency movements, and lower-than-expected IPO proceeds.
- 2012
Johannesburg service discontinued after losses[1]
Other
Precision Air ended flights to and from Johannesburg after the route contributed to financial losses.
- 2011
Precision Air becomes a public company[1]
Other
The airline converted from a privately held company to a public company ahead of its stock-market flotation.
- 2011
Precision Air lists shares on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange[1]
Other
An initial public offering broadened the shareholder base and reduced the proportional holdings of the pre-IPO principal shareholders.
- 2006
Precision Air passes IATA Operational Safety Audit[1]
Other
Precision Air became the first Tanzanian airline reported to have passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit.
- 2003
Kenya Airways acquires a major stake in Precision Air[1]
M&A
Kenya Airways acquired a 49 percent holding in Precision Air, creating a strategic ownership and commercial relationship between the two East African airlines.
- 1993
Precision Air begins scheduled operations after charter period[1]
Other
The airline moved from private charter flying to scheduled services to serve Tanzania’s expanding tourism market.
Precision Air remains subject to the EU Air Safety List ban[2]
Regulation
Precision Air is listed among Tanzanian airlines prohibited from operating flights into the European Union under the EU Air Safety List framework.
Sources2 sources
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