British Airways to pull out of Dar es Salaam

British Airways (BA) has announced that it is to cease operating its direct flights between London Heathrow and Dar es Salaam from 31 March.

The airline said it is suspending the service, which currently runs three times a week, because it is "not performing well from a commercial perspective".

Customers booked to fly with British Airways after 31 March will be offered a full refund or be re-routed through Nairobi in Kenya, Entebbe in Uganda or Lusaka in Zambia.

The news is seen as a blow for Tanzanians, as despite the inconvenience of losing the country's only direct flight to London Heathrow, local tourism officials pointed out that Britain is a crucial tourist market and the suspension of direct London flights would impact negatively on the Tanzanian tourism sector.