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Not to be confused with Congo Airlines.
Congo Airways 
IATA ICAO Callsign
8Z CGA CONGO AIR
Founded 15 August 2014
Commenced operations 20 October 2015
Hubs N’djili Airport
Fleet size 4
Destinations 10
Parent company Democratic Republic of the Congo
Headquarters Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Key people * Louise Mayuma Kasende (chairperson)[1]
- Desire Bantu (CEO)[2]
- Xavier Bruyndonckx (COO)[ citation needed ]
Website congoairways.com
Congo Airways S.A. is the state-owned flag carrier airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 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.[3][4]
Contents
History[edit]
Congo Airways was created on 15 August 2014 at the government’s instigation, and made its first flight on 20 October 2015.[5] Air France Consulting provided technical assistance to the airline.[3]
On 10 December 2019, Congo Airways signed a $194.4 million deal to acquire two E175 jets from Embraer. The jets are expected to be delivered in Q4 2020.[6]
On 26 May 2020, Congo Airways have converted the firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two. The jets are expected to be delivered in Q2 2022.[7]
Corporate affairs[edit]
Ownership[edit]
The airline is 100% state-controlled, being owned by the Government of the DRC.[8] Shareholders are reported to be various government agencies: the Intermodal Freight Management Office (OGEFREM), the National Social Security Institute (INSS), the General of Quarries and Mines (Gécamines), the Congolese Transport and Ports Society (SCTP), the Industry Promotion Fund (FPI) and the Airway Authority (RVA).[5]
Business trends[edit]
Congo Airways does not appear to have published its accounts; also, in an audit dated 28 May 2021 there were detailed allegations that embezzlement and over-invoicing totalling several million dollars had taken place at Congo Airways over recent years.[9][10]
Available figures (largely from AFRAA reports, which contain inconsistencies) are shown below (for years ending 31 December):
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover (US$m) | 40 | ||||
| Net profit | |||||
| Number of employees (at year end) | 365 | 326 | 430 | ||
| Number of passengers (000s) | 210 | 358 | 359 | ||
| Passenger load factor (%) | 71 | 62 | |||
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Notes/sources | [11][4] | [12] | [8] |
Destinations[edit]
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.[13] In May 2018 the airline commenced flights to Douala and Johannesburg-OR Tambo airport.[14]
Fleet[edit]
A Congo Airways Airbus A320
The Congo Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (in service) at August 2019:[18]
Another Embraer E2 order was announced in 2021 [19] [20]
Congo Airways fleet Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320-200 2 — 10 150 160
Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 2 — 5 64 69
Embraer 190-E2 — 2 12 84 96 Delivery expected Q2 2022[7]
Embraer 195-E2 — 2 12 108 120 Delivery expected to commence in 2022
Total 4 4
One of the aircraft was impounded in Dublin for a few weeks in September 2015 where it was to be painted.[21]
In September 2021, the airline executed a wet lease of two Embraer ERJ-190 aircraft for two years from Kenya Airways.
