Transworld start laying off workers at Zanzibar Airport

Transworld Aviation a ground handling company has kicked off the exercise of laying off workers at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) with effect from Friday, May 2, The Citizen has learnt.

In a letter that The Citizen has seen, the company is laying off 100 workers saying they were forced due to falling volumes of businesses after most of their airlines were forced to sign with the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) preferred ground handlers Dnata.

“We were left with no choice but to cut down our work force because as it is we only handle one airline per day five days a week,” said one executive of the company.

The company also said the procedure was long overdue but they had to for the rules as set by the labour commission on the isles.

“Finally we were given the nod and with effect from today some of the 100 will receive letters of retrenchment and others whose contracts have ended will not be renewed,” says the executive at Trans World

At the company’s offices on Friday afternoon a subdued mood struck as workers began picking up their termination letters and severance pay cheques for whatever was due to them.

“I have to go back to the drawing board, what I have been given as my severance package won’t last long because there are many bills to pay,” said one of the workers who preferred anonymity.

On September 14, the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) issued a directive which gave the Dubai based company exclusive access to the new terminal which was constructed at a cost of $120 million.

The order by ZAA, gave ground handling firms at the airport until December 1, 2022 to move from the newly constructed Terminal 3, instructing airlines to make arrangements to work with Dnata.

Several other steps followed the order which included the auditing of the ground handlers in October and a meeting with airlines to fast-track their transitions towards a new service provider.

Whereas the other two ground handlers were denied access to Terminal 3, Dnata on the other hand can still operate in Terminal 2 as well.