Hi there,
**Little detail to know about these domestic flights with Costal Aviation, Safari Airlink, Auric Air, etc.:**
- Some flights can be canceled at the last minute (usually because there aren’t enough passengers on the outbound trip or the return to Dar es Salaam). In this case, you’ll be automatically transferred to a later (or earlier!) flight with another airline.
The downsides can be numerous:
- If you exceed the 24-hour entry window you paid for at the reserve, you’ll have to pay a new fee per person for another 24 hours, even if you’re just a few minutes over...
- If you have an international return flight right after, you might miss your connecting flight...
We had this scare when a flight was canceled (the agency covered the extra entry fees). But we still managed to catch our plane.
Keep in mind that in Dar es Salaam, between the domestic airport and the international airport (which share the same runway!), there’s no direct connection. You’ll need to take a taxi for 10–15 minutes, depending on traffic on the main road.
- Usually, this taxi transfer is included in your flight ticket and arranged by the airline.
**Another thing to know about these domestic flights:**
- Departures from Dar es Salaam are generally on time.
- However, at the airstrips in the various reserves, schedules are very unpredictable.
When ALL the passengers on the pilot’s list are present, they’ll take off—even an hour early. It’s also happened (ask Blesl!!) that the plane left early without all the scheduled passengers... so make sure to arrive an hour before!!
Africa is unpredictable!!
Cheers,
Puma2A
Vibe shots from a Ruaha airstrip:
