Page 42 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

AFRICAN
AIRLINES

FLIGHTS RESTART IN TANZANIA

he new tourism season launched
Tearlier this year is unfolding in style
in this African country as major airlines

restart flights bringing in a substantial

number of tourists.
Of late, Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) landed

at the Kilimanjaro International Airport
(KIA) with more than 177 tourists.
The KLM plane was graced by a water

cannon salute as it was the first time to

land at KIA after an almost a four-month

suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Kilimanjaro regional commissioner
Anna Mghwira was present at the occa-
sion as well as acting managing director flights to Dar es Salaam meant a lot to Qatar. Tanzania is safe to travel to.

of the Kilimanjaro Airports Development "Our wide network of flights during these KADC acting managing director Mwakatobe

Company (KADC) Christina Mwakatobe and challenging times has ensured we have kept said the resumption of the flights is very im-

other senior government officials who were up to date with the latest in international portant for the aviation and tourism sector.

present to witness the Boeing 777 landing. airport procedures and implemented the Mwakatobe said what the Tanzanian
"We are back to normal, we have won most advanced safety and hygiene mea- government has accomplished in ensuring
back a huge number of tourists because of sures on board our aircraft and in Hamad safety of tourists is huge and that KADCO

strategies that have been devised by presi- International Airport," Al Baker said. will work to ensure these standards are

dent Magufuli and the government in deal- RwandAir have also resumed its flights in maintained and flights continue.

ing with Covid-19, pushing away fear but and out of Tanzania - five months after its Standard operating procedures (SOPs) to

also helping others observe the same, with government put in place mandatory lock- prevent the spread of Covid-19 were present-

much needed precautions to ensure that down and stringent measures in travel and ed and adopted by minister Hamisi Kigwan-
life goes back to normal,” said Mghwira. transportation. A Bombardier Q4109 has also gallah. The protocols have been adopted and

Airlines that have resumed their flights touched down at KIA with several passengers customised by all tourism entities.

to and from Tanzania include Flydubai, destined to take part in different tourist activ- A Tanzanian tourist board senior official

Emirates and Turkish Airlines. ities in the country. RwandAir manager Jimmy Francis Malugu said the resumption of

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways chief Mitali said the flights had been allowed after flights to Tanzania is a milestone for the

executive officer said that the resumption of the Rwandan government ascertained that tourism sector. Q

DRONES
HOW CHINESE DRONES ARE BEING
USED TO DETECT TYPHOONS

capable in military operations. The drone a maximum flight speed of 180 miles per

took off from Bo’ao Airport located in the hour and uses a specially designed tur-

hinese drones have just had a Hainan Province in South China and flew bojet engine. Other drones made by the

Csuccessful debut fl ight in an ef- at an altitude of 10,000 metres. During company all use turboprop engines.

fort by the Chinese government to detect the flight, the drone took a multidimen- The Wing Loong-10 has been specially

them sooner and be better prepared. sional scan of the typhoon using its built for typhoon detections with its
millimetre wave radar and temperature,
specially built jet engine. More tests are
The drone hit the sky recently and was humidity and hydrometer data to build expected to take place over the coming

able to complete a multi-dimensional the bigger picture. months to ensure the drone is ready for
scan of Typhoon Sinlaku. The Wing Loong-10 is built by Chinese real use and is likely to be sold to other
China has been planning to use its cus- company Chengdu Aircraft Industrial countries if everything goes well.

tom-built Wing Loong-10 drone to detect (Group) Co Ltd and is under the state- It is reported that typhoons cause
and track typhoons around the country. owned Aviation Industry Corporation China (US) $4.22 billion in economic loss-

Reports have said the test marked a of China (AVIC). The drone is currently es every year, making the government
breakthrough in typhoon detection and in use by China, various countries in the invest even more than before to ensure

forecast systems. The drone was able to Middle East, and Nigeria. Wing Loong-10 they are able to predict typhoons accu-
prove its resilience to the wild weather has a flight time of 20 hours and a maxi- rately and in time to prepare, in theory,

while in the test making it even more mum flight altitude of 16,000 feet. It has to lower the amount of destruction. Q

World Airnews | September 2020
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