To significantly boost economic diplomacy, trade, and tourism between Tanzania and Russia, Air Tanzania will commence direct flights from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar to Moscow, the capital of Russia, from July 2, 2026.
Early June, the President of Tanzania, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, and her delegation were in Moscow and St Petersburg’s SPIEF-2026, at the invitation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. One of the dominant topics discussed by the two parties was tourism. This was a follow-up to earlier visits by Russian delegations to Tanzania on the matter.
The sides noted that the country is well-positioned to become a more attractive destination for Russian tourists. The Russian party also offered help in promoting Tanzanian tourist products on the Russian market, organising business meetings with Russian travel agents and presenting the tourist potential at Russia’s tourist forums.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, sent an authorisation to Air Tanzania for making flights over the route of Dar es Salaam – Moscow. “Rosaviatsiya received an application from the Tanzanian national air carrier, Air Tanzania, to make flights on the route of Dar es Salaam – Moscow. The issue was promptly considered, and the authorisation for flights was already sent to the airline. Air Tanzania did not make flights to Russia before,” Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin told Russian reporters.
Tanzania has been a popular tourist destination for Russian tourists for years, particularly Zanzibar. “Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the number fell sharply, and now we are trying to increase it again. But to increase the number of tourists, we need several factors to be in place. The most important thing to do to bring back the number of tourists to a high level is to establish direct flights from Russia to Tanzania,” Russian Ambassador to Tanzania, Andrey Avetisyan, explained in an interview with The Citizen newspaper.
The key operational and news details include:
Launch Date: Direct flights officially begin on July 2, 2026, marking a massive milestone for African-Eurasian travel.
Frequency: Air Tanzania will operate three weekly flights between Tanzania and Moscow (departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). The journey time will be 8 hours and 30 minutes.
The Route: From Moscow, the flights will operate from Vnukovo airport. Using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, planes will fly between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Moscow, with initial discussions highlighting a strategic stop in the Seychelles for refuelling.
Tanzania has hit a record in terms of the number of foreign tourists. By facilitating this travel arrangement, Russia and Tanzania have taken a significant step forward in establishing connectivity with the Island, well-known for recreation. Welcomed by East African entrepreneurs, this policy initiative indicates broader efforts to promote a more interconnected and open Africa.
In 2024, the country accepted more than 1.5 million guests on its territory. According to tourism experts, the new development will likely go beyond the traditional recreation, to create grounds for expansion and diversification of its various types of tourism, including medical, sports and business tourism.
Zanzibar, off Tanzania’s coast, is one of East Africa’s most popular tourist destinations and attracts visitors from Europe and North America. In addition, Zanzibar is now attracting Russian tourists. “We look forward to the emerging tourism dynamics, future collaboration between the two countries,” says Tour Operator Karina Yefimova at the “Let’s Travel” forum in June 2026.
With an estimated population of 1.9 million people, Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island.
