.jpeg)
Dar es Salaam, May 3, 2025 Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has issued an important public warning regarding fraudulent ticket sales involving individuals falsely claiming to represent the airline in the Kariakoo area of Dar es Salaam.
These individuals have been working in collaboration with a travel agency called Space Travel, owned by Yasmin Ladha, and have been selling tickets for flights to Guangzhou, China, through unauthorized channels.
ATCL confirmed that several unsuspecting customers were tricked into making payments for non-existent Air Tanzania flights. These fraudulent transactions were processed through an unauthorized global distribution system (GDS) operated by Sateguru Travel & Tour Services (JMD), which is not affiliated with ATCL in any way.
According to ATCL’s internal investigations, these individuals were not authorized to represent the airline, and the tickets they were offering were entirely fake.
"These individuals were never authorized to represent Air Tanzania, and the tickets they were offering were completely fake," said Ms. Neema Mwakalinga, Director of Corporate Affairs at ATCL. "Our internal investigations revealed that they were using a system unrelated to our official reservation platform, which was outside of our control and not recognized by ATCL." The fraudulent activity came to light after 32 complaints were filed by affected passengers, all of whom had paid for tickets via unofficial means, believing they were purchasing legitimate Air Tanzania travel.
Unfortunately, no genuine ticketing was processed through ATCL’s official systems, leaving those impacted without valid tickets.
As part of ATCL's efforts to protect the public, the airline has taken immediate action to revoke the business license of Space Travel, effective April 28, 2025. “Unfortunately, these individuals exploited the trust of our passengers,” Ms. Mwakalinga continued. “We have revoked Space Travel’s business license in an effort to protect the public and prevent further fraudulent activity.” The airline strongly urges customers to purchase tickets only through official ATCL channels, such as the ATCL Mobile App, the official website at www.airtanzania.co.tz, ATCL’s official sales offices nationwide, or through the 24/7 customer service hotline at +255 748 773 900. "Any ticket purchased through unofficial channels cannot be verified within our system and is not valid for travel," Ms. Mwakalinga emphasized. "To ensure the authenticity of your ticket, please use only the verified options provided by ATCL."
ATCL is also calling on any other victims of this fraud to come forward and report their experiences to the relevant authorities to assist in further investigations and legal actions.
The airline is fully committed to safeguarding its passengers’ rights and taking legal action against all those responsible for the fraudulent scheme
“We are dedicated to maintaining the safety, security, and trust of our valued customers,” Ms. Mwakalinga added. “We will continue to take all necessary legal steps to hold those responsible for this deception accountable.” ATCL remains committed to providing safe and reliable services and encourages all passengers to verify their ticket purchases through official channels to avoid falling victim to such scams in the future.