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

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

Post by Homo Aeroportus »

Passenger wrote: ....
One week later, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo ruled that the Goma runway is "unsuitable" for international flights, hence indirectly banning ET to fly direct to Goma. Domestic flights (i.e. Congo Airways' brand new route Kinshasa-Goma-Kinshasa) are allowed to use Goma's runway. No aircraft restrictions have been issued with the ban.
Damn right !
As a domestic flight FIH is only 844NM from Goma, great circle distance.
While an international flight to ADD is ... 856NM ;)

You've gotta love it.

Too bad that the Rwandan Government has put the development of Gisenyi on the backburner.
GYI is literally within walking distance from Goma, just acroos the border.
Goma Gisenyi.jpg
H.A.

Flanker2
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Flanker2 »

Are you sure that it's not a customs facility problem?

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

Post by RoMax »

Flanker2 wrote:Are you sure that it's not a customs facility problem?
Would be quite strange, everything was fine for the first flight, only after the inaugural flight they had to withdraw.

Flanker2
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Flanker2 »

Perhaps the authorities realised that they needed active customs for cross-border flights only after ET launched the flight? Just because it's an international airport, it doesn't mean that customs have to be there 24/7, but only when international flights are expected, and as there were no international flights in the past,...
I mean this is DRC, it's really possible.

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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 first ex-Alitalia A320 will soon arrive in Kinshasa, sporting its new colours. Here is 9Q-CLU "Patrice Émery Lumumba".

Image
Image

Credits: Rwandan Aviation © Aéroports du Congo
André
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lumumba
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by lumumba »

I like the name ;-)
Hasta la victoria siempre.

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

Post by Passenger »

I’ve found this blog that explains what happened with the ban for Ethiopian Airlines at Goma. It’s one of those stories that makes one understand why airlines under supervision of the D.R. Congo’s CAA remain banned in the European Union.

http://drcongoairline.blogspot.be/2015/ ... spend.html

Le Directeur-Général de la Régie des Voies Aériennes (D.R. Congo's head of CAA) has sent a letter to Son Excellence Monsieur le Ministre des Transport et Voies de Communication, explaining why Ethiopian Airlines is temporary banned from Goma:

- in 2002, vulcanic eruption reduced the runway from 3.000m to 2.000m

- most of, the runway was re-established with German aid. The D.R. Congo itself is now finalizing the last 400m/500m.

- the runway consists of 6 stretches of 7,5m x 2.000m concrete (béton bitumeux). Only 4 of them are up to date. Sauf imprévu, Congo's CAA will settle this problem in July 2015.

- on 10th July 2015, Ethiopian Airlines had its inaugural flight, with a Dash-8. Landing and take off were normal.

- however, the Directeur-Général of Congo's CAA now regards that inaugural flight as a test flight. Problem solved!!! And once everything is normal, somewhere in August, ET is allowed to fly to Goma again. “Dès lors, nous considérons que le vol Ethiopian Airlines de ce jour Addis-Abeba-Goma-Addis Abeba est tout simplément un vol d’essai et nous invitons par la présente ladie Compagnie que nous lit en copie à bien vouloir réaménager son programme de vols pour commencer la desserte de Goma en vols réguliers au courant du mois d’Aout 2015”.

Why today only Ethiopian's Dash-8 are banned, and Congo's FlyCAA’s A320 are allowed to use Goma? No idea.

Why Ethiopian was allowed to start up operations from 10th July, though the CAA knew that runway was not operational in full length? No idea.

Why "a test flight" was allowed to a runway that was "not ready for a Dash-8" (cfr Congo's CAA)? No idea.

When exactly in August ET will be allowed to use Goma again? No idea. Let me guess: the day after Congo Airways has started its operations.


Image

Image

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

Post by airazurxtror »

The first of two Airbus A320 aircraft acquired by the future Congo Airways landed shortly after noon July 30, 2015 at Kinshasa - N'Djili airport. According to the chairwoman of the Congo Airways Board Louise Mayuma Kassende , the second A320 should arrive on August 25 - five days after the supposed date of the start of operations. The two Airbus were acquired from Alitalia for around 50 million dollars.

http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-07-31-co ... 47921.html
IF IT AIN'T BOEING, I'M NOT GOING.

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

Post by airazurxtror »

9Q-CLU Airbus A320-216 c/n 3362 Congo Airways rolled out Eirtech Aviation Dublin 24/07/15 ex EI-DSM.

EI-DSJ Airbus A320-216 c/n 3295 Alitalia Ferried Rome Fiumicino-Dublin 25/07/15 for Congo Airways.

EI-DSN Airbus A320-216 c/n 3412 Alitalia Ferried Rome Fiumicino-Dublin 14/08/15 for paint, for Congo Airways.
IF IT AIN'T BOEING, I'M NOT GOING.

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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 »

Congo Airways is in for a good start: their second A320 is impounded in Ireland by a court decision because of invoices unpaid by the Government of the DRC. That's how it works in Africa: when you have problems with a government, impound a plane of the national carrier !

Welcome to the DRC !
André
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Passenger »

sn26567 wrote:Congo Airways is in for a good start: their second A320 is impounded in Ireland by a court decision because of invoices unpaid by the Government of the DRC. That's how it works in Africa: when you have problems with a government, impound a plane of the national carrier !

Welcome to the DRC !
Or what Sabena' station manager in Kinshasa (M.V.) used to say: "don't try to understand what's going on here. Just accept it. It makes life a lot easier then".

Like these stories from yesterday and today:

"Un avion des Lignes Aériennes Congolaises cloué au sol."
Les Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) disposent d’un Boeing 737-200 en état de naviguer mais qui reste cloué au sol par «la volonté du ministre des Transports», a dénoncé jeudi 20 août à Radio Okapi, Léonard Kisembe, le président de «l'ONG de défense des droits des agents et cadres des LAC». Léonard Kisembe accuse le ministre des Transports, Justin Kalumba, de refuser de signer la licence d’exploitation de cet appareil, empêchant ainsi l’entreprise de relancer ses activités au point mort depuis plusieurs années.
Full story:
http://www.radiookapi.net/2015/08/21/ac ... oue-au-sol

"Sud-Kivu: les opérateurs économiques saluent la baisse des prix des billets d’avion."
Full story:
Les opérateurs économiques du Sud-Kivu sont satisfaits de la baisse des prix des billets d’avion pour les vols domestiques, annoncée par le ministre de l'Economie le 18 août dernier. Ils estiment que cette décision va booster l’économie de leur province. Le ministère de l’Economie a fixé le prix du billet d’avion Kinshasa-Bukavu à 280 dollars américains.
http://www.radiookapi.net/2015/08/22/ac ... s-prix-des

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

Post by airazurxtror »

http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-08-24-co ... 48944.html

The first flight should have been today, but is now due at the end of the month.
The first A320 has been delivered on 20 July, the second one should arrive next week, despite rumours of being impounded in Ireland.
Nothing is simple in RDC.
IF IT AIN'T BOEING, I'M NOT GOING.

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

Post by Passenger »

airazurxtror wrote:http://www.air-journal.fr/2015-08-24-co ... 48944.html

The first flight should have been today, but is now due at the end of the month. The first A320 has been delivered on 20 July, the second one should arrive next week, despite rumours of being impounded in Ireland. Nothing is simple in RDC.
There is indeed just one very small little detail left before the second aircraft can leave from Dublin: a payment of just 10 mio Euro - the balance of an arbitration of 2007 about the government of the D.R. Congo and American company "Miminco" about mining licences. Because Congo Airlines is state owned, the Irish Hight Court has accepted seizure of the A320 till the full amount of that arbitration is settled.

RTE (Ireland, see link below) writes that the case is now adjourned till "early September", so it's not sure yet that the A320 will indeed leave "this week", as Congo Airlines says. RTE: "...After granting the order the judge adjourned the matter to a date in early September...". Although that probably means that U.S. mining company Miminco becomes owner of the A320 when payment is not done by then...

English:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0821/722804 ... njunction/

French:
http://www.radiookapi.net/2015/08/23/ac ... que-dublin

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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 »

Congo Airways has denied reports in the international media claiming its second A320-200 - EI-DSN (cn 3412) - was forbidden from leaving Dublin Int'l last week on the orders of an Irish court.

"False rumours have been circulating about the seizure of our second A320 in Europe," the start-up said in a statement last week. "Congo Airways wishes to inform you that all formalities have been met for its delivery. We are to receive it in Kinshasa during the course of next [this] week."

The Irish Times stated that a US firm, Miminco LLC, and two US citizens John Dormer Tyson and Ilunga Jean Mukendi had obtained the order following a USD11.5 million dispute with the Congolese government over the ownership of two diamond mines they bought.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is Congo Airways' primary shareholder with various parastatals owning the majority of shares in the carrier.

Having taken delivery of another ex-Alitalia A320-200 late last month, Congo Airways had planned to launch operations on August 20. That date, however, has passed with no sign of activity as yet.

Source: ch-aviationj
André
ex Sabena #26567

Flanker2
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by Flanker2 »

Well at least the PR department seems operative :lol:

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

Post by Passenger »

Flanker2 wrote:Well at least the PR department seems operative
Operative and into overdrive:
http://www.radiookapi.net/2015/08/26/ac ... la-societe

In brief: although that mining company has impounded half of the Congo Airways fleet through a court order, the government of the D.R. Congo now hopes that the mining company will negociate the amount due.

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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 »

Is it a result of the cooperation between AF/KLM and Congo Airways? Anyway, ...

AIRFRANCE Expands Luanda / Kinshasa Flights from late-Oct 2015


AIRFRANCE starting late-October 2015 is introducing expanded frequency to Luanda, as it adds 3rd weekly operation to the Angolan capital. The 3rd weekly flight, AF926/927, will be operating as Paris CDG – Luanda – Kinshasa routing with A330-200 aircraft from 29OCT15. Kinshasa will also receive 5th weekly rotation as a result.

Code: Select all

AF926 CDG2340 – 0800+1LAD0905+1 – 1015+1FIH 332 4
AF927 FIH2140 – 2250  LAD0020+1 – 0840+1CDG 332 5
Source: Airline Route

AF does not operate triangular flights on FIH, like SN...
André
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brusselsairlinesfan
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by brusselsairlinesfan »

After the demise of Korongo, will brussels airlines also participate in the Congo Airways project?

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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 »

brusselsairlinesfan wrote:After the demise of Korongo, will brussels airlines also participate in the Congo Airways project?
Brussels Airlines and Korongo Airlines have offered the Congolese Government to participate in the project by bringing their valuable experience of operating an airline in Congo according to European standards, but they did not receive an answer, maybe because of the conflict of interest with AF/KL. At least the DRC Government should have acknowledged the offer! But this is Africa...
André
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airazurxtror
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Re: D R Congo will create an airline with Air France-KLM: Congo Airways

Post by airazurxtror »

sn26567 wrote: Brussels Airlines and Korongo Airlines have offered the Congolese Government to participate in the project by bringing their valuable experience of operating an airline in Congo
Valuable experience of operating an airline ? They just succeded in bringing Korongo to an utter failure ! Some recommendation ...
IF IT AIN'T BOEING, I'M NOT GOING.

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