Ethiopia and DR Congo Partner to Launch Air Congo
Air Congo was officially launched with two Boeing 737-800 aircrafts in December 2024. On 1 December 2024, Air Congo undertook its maiden flight by taking off from Kinshasa international airport. Then, on 15 December 2024, the 2nd Boeing 737-800 landed at Kinshasa international airport with a water canon salute, ready for the official debut of Air Congo on 16 December 2024.
Air Congo is a joint venture (JV) between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopian Airlines. The DRC Government is the controlling shareholder with a 51% stake while Ethiopian holds 49%.
DR Congo already had a national airline called Congo Airways but its operations has had difficulty to literally ‘take off.’ Therefore, the Congolese government that the partnership will bring the expertise, financial muscle and operational excellence to bear on the new airline. It is also hoped that Air Congo will complement Congo Airways rather than compete with it and eventually learn from it.
The establishment of Air Congo is the realization of the vision of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s vision to enhance #connectivity and stimulate growth. On the other side, the initiative is aligned with the Vision 2035 Strategy of Ethiopian Airlines which plans to establish several aviation hubs across Africa. As part of Vision 2035, Ethiopian Airlines has also partnered with ASKY Airlines of Togo, Malawi Airlines and Zambia Airways.
As part of the partnership agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will supply leadership and key personnel for the newborn airline. It will also establish a local aviation training centre and build an aircraft maintenance facility. Initially, the centre will train cockpit crew, cabin crew and the ground crew.
“The launch of Air Congo is a significant step in our strategic plan to collaborate with African governments and enhance air transport across the continent. This partnership will provide greater connectivity for the DRC and Central Africa, facilitating investment, trade, and tourism, thereby contributing to socio-economic growth of the region. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the DRC government, all stakeholders, and my esteemed colleagues for their commitment and collaboration in making this partnership a success.”
Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew
Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines is leasing the two Boeings to Air Congo for an initial period of six months. At the beginning, the airline will focus on the domestic flights serving the seven airports within DRC, namely Goma, Kalemie, Kisangani, Kinshasa, Kolwezi, Lubumbashi, and Mbuji-Mayi.
In the future, Air Congo plans to expand its network to include other regional hubs, notably, Johannesburg and Luanda, where Ethiopian Airlines is already present. As part of the continent-wide plan, Zambia Airways will increase its fleet size to six aircrafts by June 2025.
At a later stage, Air Congo will fly to international destinations outside Africa, including Paris, Brussels and Dubai. By then, the fleet of Air Congo will have grown to 10 aircrafts.