Congo Airways
Congo Airways S.A. is the state-owned flag carrier airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a paid-up capital of US$90 million, it started operations on 20 October 2015, using two Airbus A320 aircraft acquired from Alitalia.
The company initially served Congolese destinations from its base at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa, and has plans to increase its fleet and serve regional and international markets.
History
Congo Airways was created on 15 August 2014 at the government's instigation, and made its first flight on 20 October 2015. Air France Consulting provided technical assistance to the airline.On 10 December 2019, Congo Airways signed a $194.4 million deal to acquire two E175 jets from Embraer. The jets are expected to be delivered in Q4 2020.
On 26 May 2020, Congo Airways have converted the firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two. The jets are expected to be delivered in Q2 2022.
Corporate affairs
Ownership
The airline is 100% state-controlled, being owned by the Government of the DRC. Shareholders are reported to be various government agencies: the Intermodal Freight Management Office, the National Social Security Institute, the General of Quarries and Mines, the Congolese Transport and Ports Society, the Industry Promotion Fund and the Airway Authority.Business trends
Congo Airways does not appear to have published its accounts; recent available figures are shown below :| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Turnover | 40 | ||
| Net profit | |||
| Number of employees | 365 | 326 | 430 |
| Number of passengers | 210 | 358 | 359 |
| Passenger load factor | 71 | 62 | |
| Number of aircraft | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Notes/sources |
Destinations
As of June 2016, the company operates domestic routes from its hub at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa to Goma, Kindu, Kananga, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka and Mbuji-Mayi. In January 2016, the company announced that it wanted to expand services to smaller airports such as Beni and Buta Zega and internationally to Luanda, Pointe Noire, Addis Ababa, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, Lagos, and Abidjan. Long-term plans included flights to Dubai Int'l and Guangzhou. In May 2018 the airline commenced flights to Douala and Johannesburg-OR Tambo airport.| Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
| Cameroon | Douala | Douala International Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Goma | Goma Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Kananga | Kananga Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Kindu | Kindu Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Kinshasa | Kinshasa–N'djili | ||
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Kisangani | Kisangani Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Mbandaka | Mbandaka Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Mbuji-Mayi | Mbuji-Mayi Airport | — | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Moanda | Muanda Airport | — | |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | OR Tambo International Airport | — |
Fleet
The Congo Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft as of August 2019:One of the aircraft was impounded in Dublin for a few weeks in September 2015 where it was to be painted.