Nicola Colangelo, born on October 26, 1943 in La Spezia, Italy, and Founder of Coastal Aviation has died.
Colangelo grew up in a peasant household in Liguria. He came to Africa in 1965, married Carolina in 1974, and settled permanently in Tanzania in 1987.
He founded Coastal Aviation in 1987, starting with one Cessna 206. In the same year he launched Coastal Steel Industries, soon to be followed by the establishment of a boat yard in Msasani, growing the yard over the years into what is now known as Slipway.
He contributed to various sectors throughout his life, predominantly construction, transport and tourism. Along with his good friend, Ali Mufuruki, he assisted in the establishment of the CEO roundtable, an group of business people from different sectors who advise on the best approaches for the sectors, strongly advocating tourism and environmental conservation.
He spoke often in public, on platforms such as the United Nations Commission in Geneva and as keynote speaker at the ArchiAfrika conference at Delft University of Technology and Harvard University in Boston.
Among his many activities and memberships, Colangelo served as an adviser to various NGOs and government institutions, such as the SOS Children’s Villages, Hifadhi Zanzibar, Marine National Parks and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, the committee for Tanzania’s sponsorship of the Football World Cup 2010.
Gabriele Manzoni from Coastal Aviation says: “Nicola will be remembered most for the creation of a big, extended family, consisting of friends, colleagues and staff. The human factor was always central to his approach, empowering people from all walks of life to drive their future towards their aspirations and dreams.”
