The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) yesterday shared that it is gearing up to launch a new aviation operation. The Central African country’s Ministry of Transport has announced that the new airline will be called Air Congo.
A strong partner
A partnership with Ethiopian Airlines is central to this new business. The national carrier of Ethiopia will hold 49% of thecompany’s shares and provide what DRC officials call “quality aircraft.” The DRC will control the remaining 51% of the shares. According to a tweet shared by the DRC’s Ministry of Transport, Ethiopian Airlines will provide at least seven planes as part of the joint venture. This move is the result of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was signed last month. “The opening up of the national territory is the essential basis for economic and social development, in particular through the upgrading of air transport in optimal conditions of safety and security. It is in this context that I place my partnership strategy with Ethiopian Airlines.” – Cherubin Okende Senga, DRC Minister of State in charge of Transport and Communication shared, as reported by Xinhua.
An existing national carrier
DRC’s flag carrier, Congo Airways, is currently the core public airline of the country. With its hub at Kinshasa’s N’djili Airport, the airline commenced operations just six years ago and serves several domestic destinations. The operator also flies to Johannesburg, South Africa and Douala, Cameroon.
Congo Airways holds two Airbus A320s, two Dash 8s, and a pair of ERJ-190s. Just last month, the company entered into an aircraft leasing agreement with Kenya Airways that saw the Congolese airline begin wet leasing the two E190s. The airline is also expecting the arrival of four E2 aircraft.