Air travel in Arusha

Air travel in Arusha is among the ways to get to and around Arusha which is a gateway to the different destinations in the northern part of Tanzania. This form of travel is a fast way to get to the destination and air travel is classified into domestic and international flights. Domestic flights are those flights within the country from one point to another while international flights take place from one point in a country to another location in a different country.

Using air travel in Arusha can also be classified under scheduled flights and charter flights as offered by different airlines companies. Some airlines operate daily offering flights from and to Arusha while other airlines fly on some days of the week.

Arusha which is referred to as a safari capital is located amidst safari destinations which are popular among tourists and these include Serengeti national park, Arusha national park, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and Ngorongoro conservation area.

The airstrips in the northern part of Tanzania where flights from Arusha go to include Seronera airstrip, Grumeti airstrip, Fort Ikoma airstrip, lake Manyara airport, Kogatende airstrip, Sasakwa airstrip, Kuro airstrip among others.

About 15 airlines fly connect Arusha to other destinations around the world. Most of the flights originate in Dar es Salaam and Precision air has most flights on this route and other airlines which frequent Arusha include Air Tanzania and RwandaAir.

There are over 397 nonstop flights to Arusha every week which tourists can choose from as they enjoy a safari experience in Tanzania. Between Kilimanjaro international airport and Arusha airport, visitors can drive to Arusha town which is a short distance from both airports.

It is also recommended that bookings for the flights to Arusha be booked earlier and not in the last minute since prices are higher prior to the departure date. Visitors or tourists are also encouraged to compare prices for flights in case the destination has more than one airport for the most affordable flight fare.

Domestic flights are organized by the different airlines such as Air Tanzania, Precision air, Regional air, Coastal aviation, Air excel as well as Zan air. The airports in Arusha include the following;

Arusha airport (ARK)

Arusha airport is found west of Arusha town and is under the management and maintenance of Tanzania airports authority (TAA). The airport code for Arusha airport is (ARK).

The runway at Arusha airport is about 1640 meters in length and about 30 meters wide. The airport is located about 7 kilometers from Arusha. Arusha airport operates for 12 hours and not in the night.

In case of emergencies like fire, Arusha airport is equipped with different facilities and rescue equipment. Other facilities at the airport include a shop, ground handling services, parking; free Wi-Fi, hotels (there is no lounge at Arusha airport).

Arusha airport offers domestic flights to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam as well as charter flights. There are also regular flights to Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.

Passengers can get too their destinations form the airport using the shuttles which some airlines offer freely or at a charge and alternatively, visitors can also use taxi rides from the airport which can cost about 50 USD.

Kilimanjaro international airport (JRO)

Kilimanjaro international airport is another airport which serves Arusha as well as Moshi and it is located east of Arusha.

This international airport in Tanzania serves the different tourists visiting national parks around the northern part of Tanzania such as Serengeti national park, Ngorongoro conservation area, Tarangire national park and Lake Manyara national park also referred to as the northern tourist circuit.

There are flights to different destinations from Kilimanjaro international airport such as Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Addis Ababa, Dubai, Amsterdam and Kigali among others.

Kilimanjaro international airport operates for 24 hours with a runway of about 3600 meters. The international airport is served by about 12 airlines some of which include KLM, Qatar airlines, Ethiopian airlines, Kenya airways and Condor air.

Kilimanjaro international airport has direct flights to 5 different destinations, 1 terminal, and 1 runway and is owned by the government. The airport is also described as the “gateway to Africa’s wildlife heritage”.

Other transport means in Arusha

Other ways of getting around Arusha include public transport means such as “daladala” which is a main mode of transport used around Arusha. A ride in a “daladala” can cost about 400 Tanzania shillings.

Another way to get around Arusha is also by using a taxi and some companies also offer car hire services to visitors.

Railway transport is another way to get around Arusha and this form of transport is extensive connecting Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Tanga, Mwanza, Kigoma, Mpanda and Mbeya.

The different locations around Arusha which can be visited during a tour include the cultural heritage center, the snake park, Arusha declaration monument, Arusha national park and Mount Meru.

The typical procedure which passengers go through during their air travel in Arusha and around Tanzania includes checking in, airport security baggage check, and passenger check, boarding and then flying to the destination.

There are also different places to eat from in Arusha as you wait for a flight or during a safari and these include different restaurants and hotels such as Africafe coffee house, café bamboo restaurant, Chinese dragon, via via cultural café, Rivertrees among others.

Distances and flight time between Arusha and the destinations in the northern part of Tanzania are as follows;

From Arusha to Serengeti national park; Serengeti national park flight from Arusha takes about 1hour and 30 minutes.
From Arusha to Lake Manyara national park; Lake Manyara national park is close to Arusha town compared to other national parks in the northern part of Tanzania and from Arusha and the flight time is about 35 minutes.
From Arusha to Tarangire national park; Tarangire national park flights from Arusha take about 35 minutes and connecting flights via Seronera take about 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Enjoy flights to Arusha the safari capital of Tanzania and engage in various activities across the northern part of Tanzania for unforgettable safaris.