Italian Airline, Neos Launches Direct Flights between Milan and Kilimanjaro International Airport

Italian carrier Neos has officially launched direct flights to Tanzania’s northern safari circuit, with its maiden flight touching down at Kilimanjaro International Airport on Wednesday July 15, 2026, carrying more than 210 tourists.

The Neos airline plane arrival coincides with the opening of Tanzania’s peak tourism season, which usually starts in mid-June and goes on until sometime in October.

The Italian carrier also adds direct European connectivity to the Kilimanjaro Airport at the time when Tanzania is actively working to expand the country’s international aviation reach.

But Neos is not new to Tanzania.

The private Italian airline has been operating in Zanzibar Island since 2022, and plans to increase flight frequencies on the Isles based on demand, especially during peak travel seasons, as far as Neos representative, Antonella Balestra, is concerned.

Balestra was speaking shortly after the Neos aircraft landed in Northern Tanzania for its inaugural journey.

The eagle has landed

The Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) management describes the development as a commercial milestone for the terminal and the northern tourism corridor.

“We have received the Neos aircraft from Italy, which will now operate direct flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This is a major event that raises the profile of international airlines from Europe flying directly to KIA,” an official at the airport commented.

Other observers point out that the aircraft’s passenger capacity is also another significant factor.

“The maiden flight has brought over 210 visitors who are heading directly to various attractions. This presents a massive opportunity for the tourism sector and businesses in the northern zone, as well as the nation at large,” they observed.

The direct flights are said to be able to reduce travel complexity for European visitors and open commercial opportunities for businesses along the northern Tanzania tourism circuit.

The new flights were described to be making it easier for visitors to reach the local attractions directly through KIA, while also opening up business opportunities for both local micro-enterprises and large-scale traders.

Spreading wings further

The Neos route adds to a growing list of international carriers either launching or expanding direct services to Tanzania.

Tanzania’s tourism sector earned USD 4,410.6 million in 2025, up 13 percent from USD 3,903.1 million in 2024, and the government has identified European source markets as a priority for further growth.

KIA serves as the primary gateway for the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Kilimanjaro, the three anchor attractions of Tanzania’s northern circuit whose international profile has been amplified by the Royal Tour documentary and sustained marketing investment.

On the other hand, KIA is continuing to align with government directives on trade and tourism promotion.

As it happens, Italy is one of Tanzania’s significant European source markets for leisure travelers, particularly for Zanzibar beach travel and northern circuit safari packages.

Neos’s expansion from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro thus suggests the carrier is reading demand from Italian travellers for combined beach and safari itineraries, which are the most commercially valuable trip type in the Tanzania tourism product portfolio given their higher average spend per visitor.

The airline’s stated intention to increase frequencies based on demand will be the more consequential metric in the medium term. A single weekly service delivers meaningful arrivals during peak season.

A twice or three-times weekly schedule changes the economics of the Kilimanjaro route from a seasonal supplement to a structural supply addition, with corresponding implications for hotel occupancy, safari operator bookings, and the ancillary businesses that serve the northern circuit’s visitor economy.