Congo Airways seeks to revive operations with Air France

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is taking significant steps to revitalize its national airline, Congo Airways, with plans to bring two leased planes from Air France to Kinshasa by November 2024.

Jean-Lucien Bussa Tongba, the Minister of Investment, confirmed this development, signaling a major move to restore operations that were halted earlier in the year.

Minister Bussa explained that the interim CEO of Congo Airways, along with a team of aviation experts, will travel to Paris this week to finalize the leasing agreements with Air France.

"We expect quick results," he said, adding, "The interim CEO and specialists will meet with Air France officials to secure the two planes. Once the deal is signed, we should have both aircraft by November."

According to Bussa, if all negotiations go smoothly, the first plane could arrive in Kinshasa as early as November 6 or 7, 2024, with the second one expected by the end of the month.

This move comes at a critical time for Congo Airways, which has faced operational challenges, including the cancellation of services due to a lack of aircraft.

In September 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) suspended Congo Airways’ operations, citing the airline’s inability to meet service standards due to its depleted fleet.

In addition to leasing from Air France, Bussa revealed that the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) of the DRC is planning to purchase an aircraft by December 2024, which will also be used by Congo Airways. By 2025, the airline is expected to have a sufficient number of planes to meet its operational needs.

This is not the first time Congo Airways has faced difficulties in acquiring aircraft. In August 2024, the airline was provided with $1.4 million to purchase an Airbus A320 from Jordan Aviation.

However, despite the payment, the plane never arrived in Kinshasa. When asked about this issue, Minister Bussa stated that the interim CEO is still in talks with Jordan Aviation to either receive the plane or recover the funds.

Congo Airways’ revival efforts are crucial for the country’s transport sector, especially following the grounding of flights. With these new leases and potential purchases, the airline hopes to resume operations and restore its services to meet both domestic and international demands.