I don't want to be a "spelbreker" but since last week the second Avro (OO-DJJ) is back in Belgium; already one engine removed and the Korongo titles are gone, the plane stands in the corner (a little bit hidden away)
hear Hangar 41 Sabena Technics waiting for which destiny ? So sad , anybody have some news ???
I don't want to be a "spelbreker" but since last week the second Avro (OO-DJJ) is back in Belgium; already one engine removed and the Korongo titles are gone, the plane stands in the corner (a little bit hidden away)
hear Hangar 41 Sabena Technics waiting for which destiny ? So sad , anybody have some news ???
And that has been mentioned before in this topic and quite soon after that, Korongo denied they have any problems. The start-up phase of the airline is over so the BAe's weren't needed anymore, more decisions about the next steps will be taken soon.
tolipanebas wrote:We have to remember Korongo isn't a "normal" airline and FBM isn't a "normal" airport, just as much as east Congo isn't a "normal" country; something many here clearly have no good understanding about.
A few of the issues at hand:
SN can't officially code share with Korongo because of the EU blacklist, even though they are operating the Korongo flights themselves, believe it or not!
Also, the airport at FBM isn't fully approved by the BCAA to accept an A330 at present.
Not to mention that the RDC has all sort of immigration requirements which make hubbing through FBM not the easiest thing: visa, vaccination, customs etc....
Not to mention the missing terminal infrastructure as well as the lack of security facilities to allow flights to BRU.
All can be solved, but they take time, effort, political bargaining and a lot of investment.
There's an audit planned at Korongo next month to see where it stands at present and what the next phase should be. The airline has just managed to demonstrate its operational capabilities in an extremely difficult environment while making a small operational profit from it, so we'll see what the next phase brings. Rome wasn't built in a day either....
Some months ago somebody made a comment on this or another thread that 3 Airbus 319 would move to Africa ( Lubumbashi? ) by summer. Can somebody confirm this?
It would mean : fleet reduction at SN.....(very sad)
but also the possibilty for Korongo to expand drastically.
So far, only a single B733 is mentioned, which operates all Korongo flights.
And those flights (from FBM to FIH and Mbuji-Mayi) have been cancelled (with no back-up anymore) on 19 and 20 February for technical reasons. Apparently the Congolese press appreciates the sincerity of Korongo in revealing those problems that their competitors would have hidden.
Korongo placed a letter from 'a passenger' on their website to make clear they do care about safety and everything was done like it should on that flight that had to return to FBM some weeks ago. http://flykorongo.com/2013/02/21/korong ... nationale/
It seems several airlines (including the partly BA daughter Comair) applied for the extra traffic rights that will become available on the fast growing Lubumbashi-JNB route, but Korongo doesn't seem to be one of them.
RoMax wrote:It seems several airlines (including the partly BA daughter Comair) applied for the extra traffic rights that will become available on the fast growing Lubumbashi-JNB route, but Korongo doesn't seem to be one of them.
I could be wrong, but the way I read the article I got the impression that the rights are for carriers from South Africa, in which case Korongo couldn't apply for them.
kiwiandrew wrote:
I could be wrong, but the way I read the article I got the impression that the rights are for carriers from South Africa, in which case Korongo couldn't apply for them.
Which could be very true, I didn't read the whole article properly (just a summary on another website and I just copied the link).
So ok, forget what I said above and change it in "probably more competition for Korongo on the FBM-JNB route in the comming months" or something like that.
Is this also a Korongo ticket office (I can't see it very well, what exactly is on the ground floor of the building)? Or just a (very) big banner they put on a building in about the most important street of the city?
I don't know if that their office. I checked the bigger version of the picture on my PC, but couldn't see any other signs of Korongo on the doors. A few blocks down there's the Brussels Airlines office. I don't know if Korongo shares the building with SN. That would kinda make sense
Euhm, probably a very stupid question, but I'm not that used to the kind of infrastructure SN uses in Africa. But do they use that whole building, or just the lower floor(s)?
RoMax wrote:Euhm, probably a very stupid question, but I'm not that used to the kind of infrastructure SN uses in Africa. But do they use that whole building, or just the lower floor(s)?
I'd suppose all of it. Crew, pilots. If it's their African HQ, everything gets coordinated from that building so..
That building with that Korongo advertisment, is called "immeuble du 30 juin" . There is a travel agency (Excel Voyages) and an office of TAAG . But nothing related to Korongo.
My best guess for the shop under the advertisment would be "Vodacom" .
Last edited by andorra-airport on 03 Mar 2013, 18:15, edited 1 time in total.
andorra-airport wrote:That building with that Korongo advertisment, is called "immeuble du 30 juin" . There is a travel agency (Excel Voyages) and an office of TAAG . But nothing related to Korongo.
Ok, thanks, they do have a ticket office in Kinshasa, but that's somewhere else than.
Tomskii wrote:
RoMax wrote:Euhm, probably a very stupid question, but I'm not that used to the kind of infrastructure SN uses in Africa. But do they use that whole building, or just the lower floor(s)?
I'd suppose all of it. Crew, pilots. If it's their African HQ, everything gets coordinated from that building so..
OO-DJJ ex-Korongo received American reg N153DD for Neptune Aviation Services (spotted yesterday near HG41) talk with some people and seems to leave today or tomorrow, don't blaim the messenger
