Korongo Airlines

[RoMax]

Brussels Airlines speaks about a good/encouraging start of Korongo Airlines.

Keeping in mind that Korongo didn't have a big amount of time in which they could sell tickets before operations really started, the numbers are completely in line with the business plan.

Lubumbashi-Johanesburg has an average loadfactor of 60% (and rising) and business class is well occupied. Because of that encouraging start the decision to upgrade the amount of flights from 2 to 4 per week was approved. 3 of these flights connect to the Lubumbashi-Kinshasi route.

On the FBM-FIH route the average loadfactor is 50%, also in line with the business plan so also here a capacity increase (with more 737's instead of BAe146). On the 3 flights that connect directly to the Brussels route of SN, the average loadfactor is about 75%. About 25% of the pax on the Brussels-Kinshasa flights continue their journey to FBM and their number is rising every day.

As the infrastructure works at Kolwezi and Mbuji-Mayi are finished (or about to be finished) they will start flights to these destinations, no exact date is given, but it will be during this summer.

In the comming weeks the second BAe 146 will also fly to DRC to start operations for Korongo.

http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen_transport/Vliegende_start_voor_Korongo_Airlines.9212890-3085.art

[Flanker]

Though the B737 isn't flying all that much, the load-factors seem reasonable for a start-up.
A whole bunch of it would probably be George Forrest traffic, but it seems that Korongo has also been able to appeal to the local wealthier customers.

I think that the real opportunities are in the more regional destinations such as Mbuji Mayi, Kolwezi, Kananga, Bukavu. These are huge poles of populations that bring a fairly important amount of demand from official business. These are the destinations you ideally need the BAe146 for.

IMO if SN ever acquires a larger fleet of Q400's, a winter wetlease program to Korongo would be an ideal solution to increase capacity in the high season in DRC, while reducing capacity in the low season in Europe.

[webstermc]

I'm glad to hear this. Figures are much better than I expected...

[tolipanebas]

For those interested, airliners.net features an extensive trip report of a Korongo flight from FBM to JNB, including some very nice pictures.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forum ... in/223818/

enjoy!

[galaxy]

some very nice pictures.

enjoy!

Nice pictures indeed,especially the "Traditional “Pape” food " picture.

[Inquirer]

Just for the record: Didier Reynders flew on Korongo from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi during his recent visit to Congo, according to De Tijd.

Meanwhile, is there any news about the launch of those domestic routes; did the meeting between Reynders and Forest have anything to do with that?

[Passenger]

Another newspaper report (Het Laatste Nieuws) about Korongo Airlines' plans in Central Africa:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/960/Buitenland/article/detail/1490170/2012/08/23/Korongo-Airlines-wil-regionale-maatschappij-worden-in-Centraal-Afrika.dhtml

And for those who don't take life too serious: enjoy this photo, taken at Kinshasa airport just after Reynders arrived in Congo:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/957/Binnenland/article/detail/1488188/2012/08/20/Reynders-voor-de-tweede-keer-sinds-december-in-Congo.dhtml

[RoMax]

Mbuji-Mayi and Kolwezi were previously mentioned as "to be launched this summer", now it seems to be September with Mbuji-Mayi comming first. Goma and Kisangani were mentioned before also, but I wonder when they plan to start these routes.

It was also mentioned before that they point at international routes (connecting with the SN network in destinations like EBB) and other routes like Lusaka. But now they give all the destinations they want to start in the near/mid term future.

So now we have Kinshasa and JNB. Soon we should also have Mbuji-Mayi and Kolwezi. After that Goma and Kisangani and then international service to Lusaka, Nairobi, Entebbe, Luanda and Douala.

Depending on the frequency that must be the biggest airline in Central-Africa, or is Rwandair bigger meanwhile?

Also note what Forrest said: "It's our ambition to become a (very) beatiful/great airline, maybe even the (most) beautiful/greatest of Africa"

[RoMax]

Korongo Airlines recently launched a new commercial campaign, there's a video on YouTube:



Apperently Fally Ipupa (a singer-songwriter from the DRC) is their "Brand Ambassador" participating in the clip.

[Tomskii]

Nice commercial, it's funny to see airline ticket 'shops' because in Belgium you can't just go to an airline shop in Brussels and buy the tickets for Brussels Airlines. It's funny to see they use that very personaliased way of dealing with clients in the DRC.

EDIT: Found an interview for the inaugural flight to JNB.

[tolipanebas]

Fally Ipupa is also featuring on 2 of the 4 the banners on flykorongo.com, under the slogan 'Fally a choisi!'

Nice commercial indeed and it continues on the theme of their first commercial: http://vimeo.com/22648601 which doesn't seem posted in this topic yet.

[RoMax]

Nice commercial, it's funny to see airline ticket 'shops' because in Belgium you can't just go to an airline shop in Brussels and buy the tickets for Brussels Airlines. It's funny to see they use that very personaliased way of dealing with clients in the DRC.

Yes indeed nice to see, that's the way aviation still works in Africa. If I'm correct SN also has several city offices where they sell tickets (in Africa of course), some offices even offer city check-in (to avoid the hassle at the African airports). Korongo has offices in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa and an exterior agent in South-Africa. I don't know if they plan to open offices in their other DRC destinations, but on their website in the part "Agences Korongo" where the phone numbers and adress of the offices are mentionned, they mention under Kolwezi and Mbuji-Mayi "ouverture prochaine". So I assume they'll open airport or city offices in these cities once the routes are launched.

Once they launch routes to destinations like NBO, EBB, LAD and DLA I assume they'll share offices with SN as these are all SN destinations? Lusaka is of course another case.

[RoMax]

Nice commercial indeed and it continues on the theme of their first commercial: http://vimeo.com/22648601 which doesn't seem posted in this topic yet.

I think it has been mentioned some time ago (at least I saw it, but maybe not on luchtzak, I don't remember ), but it may have past by unnoticed.

Anyway, anyone some more details about planned start dates for Kolwezi and Mbuji-Mayi? The statements of George Forrest seem to indicate September for the next destination?

[Tomskii]

Hadn't seen that first one. Looks very nice as well!

[Conti764]

Hm, I fell in love twice in less than a minute

[Boeing767copilot]

FEATURE-Congo's new airlines brave riskiest African skies

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/2 ... FP20120827

[Kapitein]

Today OO-DJJ departed to Congo to join the Korongo-fleet

[sn26567]

Today OO-DJJ departed to Congo to join the Korongo-fleet

A second BAe146 that will sit idle most of the time?

Or is it a sign that the network will dramatically expand in the near future?

[tolipanebas]

I wouldn't call a twice weekly Lubumbashi - Mbuji-Mayi - Kinshasa and 4 weekly Lubumbasi - Kolwesi "sitting idle".

[Inquirer]

I finally had some time to read that Korongo trip report and and now I have a question to those of you who can speak what I think is Swahili.

I noticed the Korongo inflight magazine is called Wageni: what does it mean?