So even though only 5% of the world's aircraft cross Africa, there is a demand for better air traffic services.

The Tanzanian Government says better air traffic control will bring in more money

That demand is one of the motives behind Tanzania's decision to come shopping in Britain for a new control system.

The World Bank says in an unpublished report that Tanzania could have bought an adequate system for a quarter of the �28m it is paying BAe Systems.

The Tanzanian Government argues that far from landing the country in debt, better air traffic control will bring in money.

Need to modernise

Tanzania's biggest earner is tourism - it has some of the world's great game reserves - the country could bring in billions simply by charging airlines to enter its airspace.

Better control of the skies could also help prevent smuggling and ivory poaching.

Few want to deny the right of the country to modernise its aviation industry, the concern is with the price.

Tanzania has just seen some of its debts cancelled - the last thing the world's financial organisations want to see is for those debts to start rising again.

But with the country crying out for more down-to-earth requirements such as healthcare and clean water, it's not surprising that a growing coalition of charities, aviation experts and British politicians believes air traffic control should be a major priority.