Transfer at Dar es Salaam Airport
Dar es Salaam Airport has 3 terminals. The buildings are separate and relatively far apart.
Moving between terminals 2 and 3 is convenient via a 200 metre long covered walkway (public section only), but terminal 1 is more than 1 km away.
Which terminal?
The individual terminals are divided by airline.
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Terminal 1
The smallest and oldest terminal is mainly used by small regional Tanzanian airlines.
The terminal has only minimal facilities, but on the other hand it is the most uncluttered and the distances to the planes are minimal.
Flights of the following airlines are handled here:
- As Salaam Air, Auric Air, Coastal Aviation, Tropical Air, Unity Air, ZanAir
Terminal 2
The former main terminal is now mainly used for domestic flights and some regional international flights.
The building is old and not very nice, but the check-in process is simple and very clear.
The domestic section after security check is often crowded with not enough seats.
Use Terminal 2 when flying with these airlines:
- Air Tanzania - all domestic flights
- Flightlink - domestic and international flights
- Precision Air - domestic and international flights
Terminal 3
The largest, modern and spacious terminal is mainly used by foreign airlines.
The terminal is very clear and the check-in process is usually fast.
However, the queue for immigration control after arrival can take more than 45 minutes.
- Tip: find out all about visas for Tanzania
The following airlines check in at Terminal 3:
- Air Tanzania - all international flights
- Air Zimbabwe, Airlink, Egyptair, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Flydubai, Kenya Airways, KLM, LAM Mozambique Airlines, Malawi Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Rwandair, Skyward Express, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, Uganda Airlines, Zambia Airways
Airport map
The map below provides an overview map of the airport area and all its terminals.
Transfer between flights
Dar es Salaam is a fairly major transfer point, especially for flights to Zanzibar, but thanks to Air Tanzania, international transfers can also take place here.
Below we describe the situation if you have a guaranteed transfer (i.e. both flights are booked in one booking) or you are travelling with hand luggage only and have already generated a boarding pass for the connecting flight.
International <-> International
The transfer is very simple and quick. When you get off the plane, follow the "Transfer" sign which will lead you to the security checkpoint for transfer passengers only.
After that you will be in the departure gate area.
- Average transfer time - 20 to 40 minutes
- Transfer baggage - will be transferred automatically
International <-> Domestic
When transferring from an international flight to a domestic flight or vice versa, you must always leave the transit area, go outside to the public area and check in again.
With the exception of flights with Precision Air or Flightlink, which check in domestic and international flights at Terminal 2, in all other cases you must additionally walk the 200 metre long walkway between Terminals 2 and 3.
The distance between the terminals is a maximum of 5 minutes walking distance and transfers between terminals are only possible via the public section.
You must always collect your baggage and re-check it when transferring from an international to a domestic flight or vice versa.
- Average transfer time - 45 to 90 minutes (up to 120 minutes for Terminal 1)
- Baggage on transfer - you must collect and re-check in
If you are transferring to/from Terminal 1, the distance along the pavement is approximately 1.5 km. In this case we recommend using a taxi or Bolt/Uber for approx. 10 000 tzs.
Domestic <-> Domestic
There are flights from Dar es Salaam to many domestic Tanzanian destinations and several airlines offer guaranteed connections here.
When you get off the plane, you have to walk down to the baggage reclaim room.
From here, follow the "Transfer" sign which will lead you to the security checkpoint for transfer passengers only. From here, take the escalator to the departure area.
- Average transfer time - 15-25 minutes
- Transfer baggage - will be transferred automatically
Overnight stay at the airport - opening hours
International Terminal 3 is open 24/7, but there are virtually no comfortable seats in the public area to spend the night.
The earliest you can usually get through security is 4 hours before departure.
Hotels near the airport
There are currently no hotels directly next to the terminals.
The nearest hotel that offers its own free airport transfer is about 3 km towards the centre of Dar es Salaam.
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