During our visit to Arusha last December we also shortly met with George Krukowski, General Manager of TAHA Fresh Handling Ltd. He organises the outgoing logistics for the Tanzanian growers. Obviously, the good news of the weekly flights to Europe has recently been announced to the press:
Just published today on allafrica.com and East African Business Week:
The Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and its newly formed growers-owned logistics firm, TAHA Fresh Handling Limited (TFHL), have announced the successful inaugural flight of a Boeing 747-200 cargo aircraft from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).
In an interview with EABW recently, the Executive Director for TAHA, Jacqueline Mkindi said the flight took off on December 7, 2008 loaded with flowers, cuttings and vegetables from Tanzania to markets in Europe. “This is the first of what will be a weekly service from JRO to Ostend in Belgium operated by MK Airlines. The second flight also took off in the night of Saturday December 13, 2008 uplifting almost 30 tonnes of horticultural produce,” she said. She said the route by MK cargo plane has a viable entry to Amsterdam and other destinations including USA, UK and Asia. “It’s really competitive route, which starts from Belgium to South Africa en-route Entebbe and Kilimanjaro. Ostend in Belgium is a hub whereby cargo is lifted to other destinations,” she said.