St Petersburg. Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) will launch direct flights linking Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Moscow from July 2, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on Friday, in a move expected to strengthen tourism, trade and investment ties between Tanzania and Russia.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), President Hassan said the new route would improve connectivity between the two countries and facilitate the movement of both passengers and cargo.
“In the aviation sector, Air Tanzania will officially launch flights connecting Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Moscow on July 2 this year. This will be an important catalyst for promoting and strengthening tourism between our two countries,” she said.
The launch of the direct service comes amid growing economic cooperation between Tanzania and Russia, with both countries seeking to expand trade, investment and business partnerships.
Russian officials welcomed Tanzania's participation in the forum, describing the country as one of Russia's key partners in Africa and an increasingly attractive destination for investment.
They said the introduction of direct flights would further enhance diplomatic, commercial and tourism relations by easing travel and creating new opportunities for business engagement.
Russia's Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, said economic cooperation between the two countries was gaining momentum through various trade and investment platforms.
Speaking after President Hassan's address, Mr Reshetnikov said business engagements between Tanzanian and Russian entrepreneurs would continue next week during international exhibitions in Russia and later at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), commonly known as Sabasaba.
He also commended Tanzania for sending a delegation of about 150 business representatives to the forum, saying the strong turnout reflected the country's commitment to deepening trade and investment relations with Russia.
The direct Moscow route is expected to support Tanzania's efforts to diversify its tourism markets while providing greater access to Russian visitors and investors seeking opportunities in East Africa.
