Founder and chairman Board of Precision Air Michael Shirima has passed away aged 80.
Information released through the airline’s official twitter handle, @PrecisionAirTz on Saturday morning stated that Mr Shirima passed away last night at around 9:30am at the Agha Khan hospital in Dar es Salaam where he was admitted since June 8, 2023.
Following the demise of the businessman, President Samia Suluhu Hassan took to social media to convey a message of condolences.
After his public service, the President says, the Precision Air owner has an important stakeholder in the aviation industry for over 30 years.
“My condolences to family, relatives and close friends,” she tweeted.
The businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist was born in Usseri in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.
Shirima and founded the Precision Air in 1993, with a twin-engine five-seater airplane, a Piper Aztec.
Using Arusha as its base, the airline began by providing charter flights to tourists visiting Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, the island of Unguja, and other tourist attractions in Tanzania.
As customer numbers grew, the airline acquired more equipment and began scheduled flights, maintaining Arusha as its base.
In 2003, Kenya Airways acquired 49 percent shareholding in Precision Air for a cash sum of US$2 million.