CONGO AIRWAYS SET FOR LAUNCH
(Posted 05th September 2015)
A new national airline is set to soon take to the skies over the Democratic Republic of Congo, using Airbus A320-200 equipment. The first of these birds arrived in fact on the 30th of July in Kinshasa, named ‘Patrice Emery Lumumba’. The initial launch date of end of June has since been shifted to what now appears to be September as the modified launch date in August too was missed. The new national airline will reportedly replace the defunct LAC, aka Lignes Aeriennes Congolaise.
Congo Airways will begin operations from its hub in Kinshasa and serve at least 8 destinations, and more when more aircraft have been procured. Both Lubumbashi and Goma have been named among the eight. Additional information received in fact speaks of over two dozen more domestic and regional destinations to be served as the fleet expands.
A legal dispute however between creditors and the government in Kinshasa has led to the unexpected confiscation of the second aircraft before it could leave Dublin for Kinshasa two weeks ago, effectively throwing a spanner in the works of launching the airline and serving multiple destinations from the onset. Both airline and government are appealing the order of a Dublin court, each saying that the airline, while owned by the Congolese government, is not part of the original legal dispute.
There is speculation over earlier reports from Kinshasa that the Congolese government was in talks with Ethiopian Airlines to form a joint venture, now that Congo Airways is at the verge of starting operations on its own. It is understood that Air France Consulting has been retained to advice shareholders towards the startup and beyond.
