DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Monday inaugurated a newly installed state-of-the-art civilian radar for controlling air traffic in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
"Tanzania's airspace is now 100 percent secure following the acquisition of four radars that will enhance safety and security of the country's airspace," Magufuli said when he inaugurated one of the four radars at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
"Initially the country had one radar which had a surveillance capacity of 25 percent leaving 75 percent of the country's airspace unsecured," said the head of state.
The new radar will enable the country to increase air traffic safety and security and also to generate revenues, he said in an event broadcast live by the public broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
"The new radar will attract more aviation companies to use our airspace and therefore increase revenues," he said.
Hamza Johari, the director general of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, said the installation of the radars in Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports have been completed while the installation of the one in Mwanza airport was at 90 percent and the installation at Songwe airport was at 40 percent.
Aviation expert Margaret Munyagi said the new radars will help Tanzania retain airlines currently using its airspace and attract new ones.
