Air Congo launches

With a special ceremony at Kinshasa on 16 December 2024, Air Congo was officially launched as the new national airline for the country. The airline is a joint-venture with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo owning 51% and Ethiopian Airlines 49%.

Air Congo currently has a fleet of two Boeing B737-800s, 9S-AGA (40961, former ET-APF) and 9S-AOA (40964, former ET-APK), which are both leased from, and for now, operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

The airline will begin with serving seven domestic destinations but has plans to later expand with international destinations. In November 2021, we reported that the company has ambitions to grow into a fleet of ten aircraft, also including DHC-8-400s and eventually B787s.

The Air Congo-investment is part of Ethiopian Airlines' Vision 2025 strategy which goal is to establish multiple hubs across Africa. Next to Air Congo, Ethiopian Airlines also has interests in ASKY from Togo, Air Malawi and Zambia Airways.

Photo by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.