D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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sn26567
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by sn26567 »

The other airlines operating in D R Congo crash their aircraft !
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Passenger »

Any news about the second A320 that is (was?) grounded in Dublin? Website and Facebook are very silent:
http://www.congoairways.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Congo-Airways- ... /timeline/

Meanwhile, there are rumours (see YouTube below) that the first A320 (9Q-CLU) isn't ready to fly yet because of a technical issue. CEO Jerôme Maillet didn't confirm or deny it during a recent press conference (31/08/2015). That press meeting that was organized to deny opposition rumours that the 2 aircraft were bought for 7 mio USD each, and not 25 mio USD each as stated by Congo Airways and the government:



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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Passenger wrote:The eagle has landed!
Interesting choice of name:
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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White smoke is coming from the Vatican: first flight is for "bientôt":

"...Le directeur général du Congo Airways a annoncé pour « bientôt » le début des vols inauguraux de cette compagnie aérienne nationale... Claude Kirongozi a précisé mercredi à Radio Okapi que ces vols seront domestiques et desserviront dans un premier temps les grandes villes de la RDC dont Lubumbashi, Kisangani, Goma, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga, Kindu et Mbandaka... Claude Kirongozi affirme par ailleurs que Congo Airways compte acquérir des avions de petite taille pour desservir les autres villes..."

Source:
http://www.radiookapi.net/2015/10/01/ac ... t-les-vols

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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by airazurxtror »

Interrogé le 8 octobre 2015 par Radio Okapi, le directeur général de la nouvelle compagnie nationale de République Démocratique du Congo Claude Kirongozi a confirmé le premier vol commercial ce vendredi de ses Airbus A320 à l’aéroport de Kinshasa-N’Djili. « Le premier vol va aller vers Lubumbashi et au retour, on fera une escale à Mbuji-Mayi, puis Mbuji-Mayi – Kinshasa. Tandis que l’autre avion fera le vol de Kinshasa – Goma. Et au retour, on fera une escale à Kisangani », a-t-il précisé, avant d’ajouter que le prix des billets d’avion ne sera annoncé que samedi. Le site internet de Congo Airways ne propose aucun détail sur les jours d’opération ou les horaires, tandis que Flightstat annonce un départ vers Kisangani ce 9 octobre à 8h15, et un autre à 14h20 vers Lubumbashi.

Son organigramme est présenté comme suit : « le directeur général, Claude Kirongozi, est congolais, son adjoint Jérôme Maillet est un ancien d’Air France Consulting, société chargée de gérer le lancement de la compagnie, et le Belge Xavier Bruyndonckx a été nommé directeur des opérations ».

http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-10-09-co ... 51597.html
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Kinshasa (AFP) - A new airline was launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday.

Two Airbus jets belonging to Congo Airways left the capital Kinshasa's Ndjili international airport after a ceremony attended by President Joseph Kabila.
The first flight left at 10:57 bound for the eastern town of Goma via the country's third city of Kisangani.
The second departed three minutes later for southeastern Lubumbashi, the country's second city.

The head of Congo Airways, Claude Kirongozi, gave no date for the launch of commercial services. But last month, after the airline received the two A320 Airbus aircraft, a source close to Congo Airways said that this could take place "around mid-October."
Congo Airways will initially operate services to eight towns and cities, and this will be expanded to 14 after three years.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/29772894/
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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And all this without any prices announced yet for tickets. That means it was free for all today. Good start!
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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And all this without any prices announced yet for tickets. That means it was free for all today. Good start!
According to their website 'booking tool',a one-way ticket Kinshasa-Lubumbashi would cost about EUR 261 or 293 USD.

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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Congo Airways Tuesday made its first commercial flight between Kinshasa and Lubumbashi; that route will be operated every day, pending the development of the network to seven other provincial airports.

After the inaugural flights operated and dedicated to VIP on October 9, 2015, the company undertook on 20 October at 10:00 its first commercial flight between its base in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi-N'Djili airport; 160 passengers took place in one of its two Airbus A320. Congo Airways website does not indicate any timetable for the subsequent rotations, simply displaying availability; a one way ticket is available for around 260 dollars.

http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-10-21-rd ... 52285.html
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Congo Airways suspends flights to Mbuji Mayi

Congo Airways has suspended flights to the central town of Mbuji Mayi after just two weeks following serious concerns about the state of the airfield's primary runway 17/35.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's Prospérité newspaper says operators have raised complaints with the country's civil aviation authority (Régie des voies aériennes - RVA) over the runway's disintegrating asphalt surface runway. As such, flyCAA is now the airport's only known scheduled operator.

Lose debris has wreaked havoc with departing aircraft with the now defunct Korongo Airlines attributing its decision to cease operations on the damage its only aircraft - B737-300 OO-LTM (msn 25070) - sustained on take off from Mbuji Mayi in July this year.

Though the DRC government has invested USD55 million into the modernization of the airfield's passenger terminal, it has yet to commit any funds to the repair and upgrade of its apron, taxiways and runway.

Source: ch-aviation
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by flightlover »

sn26567 wrote:
Though the DRC government has invested USD55 million into the modernization of the airfield's passenger terminal, it has yet to commit any funds to the repair and upgrade of its apron, taxiways and runway.

Source: ch-aviation
Getting the priorities right, safety and security before comfort? Nah, no need to :lol:

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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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sn26567 wrote:Lose debris has wreaked havoc with departing aircraft with the now defunct Korongo Airlines attributing its decision to cease operations on the damage its only aircraft - B737-300 OO-LTM (msn 25070) - sustained on take off from Mbuji Mayi in July this year.
It was a good excuse.
(off topic: I think you hit the wrong button when using google translate)

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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Congo Airways outlines regional, international expansion plans

Norbert Sengamali, the Sales and Marketing Director of Congo Airways, has outlined the carrier's proposed expansion plans insofar as regional and international operations are concerned.

Launched in October last year, the state-backed carrier operates a pair of A320-200s on flights connecting Kinshasa N'Djili with Gemena, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Kananga, Goma, Kindu, Mbandaka, and Mbuji Mayi domestically. Service to more remote areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo such as Beni and Buta Zega is also planned with the upcoming arrival of its first two Dash 8-400s.

Outlining Congo Airways' medium- and long-term expansion plans, Sengamali told African Aerospace that the carrier's maiden regional destinations would be Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, Luanda, and Pointe Noire. Towards the end of this year, a further two A320-200s will arrive thereby allowing for the roll out of services to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya, Lagos in Nigeria, and Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire.

"In 2018, we want to go intercontinental. We are looking at wide-bodies," he said adding that Dubai Int'l and Guangzhou were currently being looked at.

Air France Consulting is providing technical assistance to the Congolese carrier.

Source: ch-aviation
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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Duke »

sn26567 wrote:Congo Airways outlines regional, international expansion plans
The plan seems to be very ambitious... what a difference with what was realised by Korongo...
I still don't understand why Korongo couldn't realise more, being backed up by the know-how and the expertise of Brussels Airlines.
However, with Congo Airways, we'll have to wait to see how these plans materialise..
I hope they'll succeed...

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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Excuse me for being a bit sceptical... If the know-how and the expertise of Brussels Airlines did not stop Korongo from operating a B737 from a runway strongly reputed for distributing solid bits of concrete, what was that worth?

Then again , the newcomer's "outlining" cannot be termed a "plan", it is an intention or an ambition but no more. It will be nice enough for the god-forsaken country if this fledgling airline can manage to keep operating over the next few months, hopefully even a few years. If they are wise, they keep a low profile - the bigger their success, the more people will try to get their hands on.

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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Congo Airways confirms plans to acquire two Q400s and one A320 as part of fleet expansion.
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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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sn26567 wrote:Congo Airways confirms plans to acquire two Q400s and one A320 as part of fleet expansion.
The first Q400 at Addis Ababa on its way to Kinshasa:

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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Another competitor joins the club: Air Kasai has leased ZS-EVE = a 35 year old 737-200 (ex Lufthansa ex Ryanair) from Gryphon Airlines South Africa. Planned routes out of Kinshasa N’Djili: Mbandaka, Gemena, Gbadolite, Mbuji Mayi, and Kananga.

https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/ ... th-Africa)

I don't know yet if ZS-EVE will get a 9Q reg.

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Re: D R Congo creates an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

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Congo Airways is looking to add another A320 to its fleet by end of 2016, now that the carrier has obtained its AOC. Financing for the third A320 has not been finalised yet.
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