CONGO GOVERNMENT MAKES PAYMENTS TO SECURE DELIVERY OF TWO EMBRAER 195’S IN EARLY 2021
(Posted 14th January 2021)
With the mandatory downpayments for two Embraer E195-E2 aircraft on order for Congo Airways – made by the Congolese government – has the stage been set for the delivery of the two new planes in early 2022.
While a balance of payments remains due at a later stage will those be co-financed by banks and financial institutions retained by Congo Airways.
Embraer confirmed the news yesterday with a statement on their website which says:
‘Congo Airways will soon have two variants of E2s in its fleet. The Kinshasa-based flag carrier has exercised options for two E195-E2s from a December 2019 contract for new E-Jets. The airline previously ordered two E190-E2s. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2022 with Embraer and Congo Airways continuing to review the potential to anticipate the beginning of the deliveries.
The 120-seat E195-E2s will have 12 Business and 108 Economy class seats. The configuration has 25% more capacity than the 96-seat E190-E2s with 12 Business and 84 Economy class seats. A common cockpit across all E2s will give Congo Airways tremendous operating flexibility. Pilots can transition seamlessly between the larger and smaller E2s.
The airline’s CEO, Desire Balazire Bantu, says he intends to deploy the E2s to high-demand destinations such as Abidjan, Cotonou, Johannesburg and Cape Town. “We see an opportunity in our market and the crisis we are all facing for Congo Airways to emerge stronger.” With two E-Jet models, “we will have the flexibility and the right-sized, most efficient aircraft … as the market returns.”
The two new aircraft will be configured in a two class layout of 12 seats 2 x 1 in business class and 108 seats 2 x 2 in economy class.
