Air Tanzania Resumes Operations of Grounded Boeing 787-8 Amid Engine Shortages
Air Tanzania has faced a significant challenge with one of its Boeing 787-8s, registered as 5H-TCJ (msn 66133), which has been grounded in Malaysia for six months due to a shortage of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 replacement engines. The airline has now announced that the engine replacement is underway and expects the aircraft to return to Tanzania by early June.
The grounding was initially caused by the unavailability of spare parts needed for mandatory maintenance on the aircraft’s engines, which are the Trent 1000-AE3 variant, according to ch-aviation fleets data. The aircraft was ferried from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou and then to Kuala Lumpur International on November 9, where it has remained.
In a statement, Air Tanzania CEO Ladislaus Matindi explained that the prolonged downtime was due to the engines awaiting a maintenance slot amidst a high volume of engines requiring service. This delay was exacerbated by the discovery of design flaws in the power generation systems of many new engine models, necessitating major overhauls after every 1,000 cycles as mandated by aviation authorities and the engine manufacturers.
A spokesperson from Rolls-Royce confirmed that the Trent 1000 engines for Air Tanzania had undergone a planned shop visit and were now serviceable and available. This update comes as a relief to the airline, which faced scrutiny from local media after images surfaced showing the aircraft in Malaysia without its engines.
Matindi also addressed rumors of the aircraft being abandoned in Malaysia, clarifying that 5H-TCJ had been sent for a major C-check, a routine part of the aircraft’s maintenance schedule. He emphasized that heavy maintenance for Air Tanzania’s Boeing 787-8s is conducted at its MRO facility at Kilimanjaro every three years or every 12,000 flight cycles. This includes another 787-8, 5H-TCG, which underwent similar maintenance in 2021 after being delivered in July 2018.
The airline anticipates further expanding its fleet, with a third Boeing 787-8 expected to be delivered later this year. Meanwhile, the Trent 1000 engine, which powers the Boeing 787 family, has faced several challenges since its introduction in 2011, including issues with intermediate pressure turbine (IPT) blades. Rolls-Royce has made significant efforts to address these issues through design changes, enhanced manufacturing processes, and expanded maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
This resolution of the engine issue marks a significant step toward restoring full operational capacity for Air Tanzania and maintaining the reliability of its expanding fleet amidst ongoing global challenges in the aviation industry.