Korongo Airlines: THE END

[sn26567]

It seems that Korongo is getting a new competitor.

RDCongo's BlueSky Airlines takes delivery of first MD-83

BlueSky Airlines (Democratic Republic of Congo) has taken delivery of its first MD-83 ahead of its planned entry into the scheduled passenger services market.

Sources in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, inform ch-aviation that with an additional three jets of the type due to arrive later this year, the carrier will connect Kinshasa N'Djili with Kisangani, Goma (recently reopened to large aircraft), Lubumbashi, Mbuji Mayi, Kananga, and Mbandaka.

Until now, BlueSky had specialized in business charter and medevac flights using its fleet of US-registered Hawker 125 and Challenger 600/601/604 aircraft.

Source: ch-aviation

[airazurxtror]

It's a long time we've last had news of Korongo. What happens over there ? Mystery !
A Luchtzaker involved in the projest was writing, less than 5 years ago :

However, this project definitely is about making money, not just about prestige, hence the presence of GFI which basically owns Lubumbashi as well as the formal go-ahead from Lufthansa, which will have to pay the bills in a couple of years. The last thing Lufthansa would want is to have a lossmaking central-African airline on their ballance sheet, I should think?

It seems that in the meantime this Luchtzaker has lost his enthusiasm for that project - we don't read him any more on the subject ... a pity !

[crew1990]

I will never understand this company, first of all why is the flight to Johanesbourg isn't operated from Kinshasa to allowed some smooth connection with Brussels Airlines, and why is Korongo still blacklisted?

[jan_olieslagers]

why is Korongo still blacklisted?

Do you really think that is their fault?

[RoMax]

I will never understand this company, first of all why is the flight to Johanesbourg isn't operated from Kinshasa to allowed some smooth connection with Brussels Airlines, and why is Korongo still blacklisted?

The JNB flight is to serve local demand, who would fly there through the DRC anyway with all these much better and not that expensive options available from Europe.

And the reason they are still blacklisted has nothing to do with Korongo itself, but the Congolese aviation authorities which are not trusted by the EU.

But I wonder what SN's current position on the project is, there is basically no talk about Korongo since quite a long time and I just saw that their CCO who had been working for SN in Africa before his position at Korongo, became Charter Manager for SN since this month. Of course that doesn't have anything to do with the SN/Korongo, but it could be.

[crew1990]

why is Korongo still blacklisted?

Do you really think that is their fault?

About Korongo to answer to your question no I don't think this is their fault and if you was reading me correctly instead of trying to find the faults I do on a post, you would probably notice that I didn't blame them for being in the black list as I'm aware that they follow all the regulation, this is why I was wondering why they are still in there.

[air belgium]

@Jan Olieslagers : you seem like such a nice and friendly person! OMG!

[crew1990]

I heard a few days ago that Korongo could stop the operation, well just a rumor but anyone know something?

[Boeing767copilot]

ECAir, Equatorial Congo Airlines, is continuing to expand its network

Source: ECAir

31/03/2015
ECAir, Equatorial Congo Airlines (http://www.flyecair.com), is continuing to expand its network. After Libreville (beginning of February), the national airline of the Republic of the Congo has just launched a route between Brazzaville and Dakar via Bamako (end of March).

Flights to Bamako and Dakar are operated on Boeing 757-200 with a capacity of 148 seats (16 in Business Class and 132 in Economy); after 1 June, they will be on Boeing 737-700 (12 seats in Business Class and 112 seats in Economy). These two new destinations will round off the service offering of Equatorial Congo Airlines, which already provides services to and from Cotonou (Benin), Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon) and Kinshasa (DRC) as part of its regional network.

Equatorial Congo Airlines now connects Brazzaville to eleven destinations:

_ Domestic network: Pointe-Noire and Ollombo.

_ Regional network: Kinshasa (river shuttle), Libreville, Douala, Cotonou, Bamako, Dakar.

_ International network: Paris, Dubai, Brussels (connecting from Paris).

The new Brazzaville-Dakar route via Bamako offers new opportunities to business and leisure travellers from Senegal and Mali, who will be able to connect easily with the ECAir network via its Brazzaville hub, in particular for destinations such as Paris, Dubai, Kinshasa and Cotonou…

"The new routes (Libreville, Dakar, Bamako) are the fulfilment of our efforts to connect the African economic capitals with each other and with the rest of the world," says Fatima Beyina-Moussa, Managing Director of ECAir and President of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). "We are going to continue our expansion with the opening of the next destinations (Yaounde, Abidjan, Bangui, N’Djamena and Beirut). All of this is possible because with Maya-Maya, we have one of the most modern airports in Africa, with a high handling capacity. We are thus benefiting from the vision demonstrated by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Denis Sassou Nguesso, and his government, when they made significant investments in the construction and modernisation of the country's airport infrastructure."

To draw new passengers, ECAir is focusing on its African identity, its attractive rates, its reliable planes meeting international standards, and its dynamic, qualified and able personnel. In addition, the company boasts one of the best customer loyalty programs in Africa, "Mboté," with close to 30,000 members.

Take advantage of the low prices offered by ECAir:
Brazzaville-Bamako: from XAF 263,000 (EUR 400) return ticket, all taxes included.
Brazzaville-Dakar: from XAF 382,000 (EUR 582) return ticket, all taxes included.
Brazzaville-Paris: from XAF 450,000 (EUR 686) return ticket, all taxes included.

[Airbus A330]

_ International network: Paris, Dubai, Brussels (connecting from Paris).

What do they mean by "Brussels (connecting from Paris)"?

ECAir looked to extend the BZV-CDG route to BRU last winter season but it didn't happen.
Or, it is only to inform Belgian customers about the CDG operation of ECAir

[Boeing767copilot]

It's a release from ECAir. Probably a train connection BRU- CDG?

[kilobravo243]

Things not looking good for Korongo. The only plane they have has some engine problem and is now flying on occasional basis. For a company that was meant to change the face of the aviation in the DRC, what a disappointment! Being a subsidiary of SN who itself is not in a great financial situation doesnt help Korongo. The survival of the company is on the line. No investment or no fleet change has been made for months..

http://radiookapi.net/actualite/2015/04 ... -airlines/

[sn26567]

It seems that Korongo is getting a new competitor.

RDCongo's BlueSky Airlines takes delivery of first MD-83

Congo's BlueSky Airlines wins court order against regulator

BlueSky Airlines has successfully obtained a court order forcing the operator of Kinshasa N'Djili airport, Régie des Voies Aériennes de la République Démocratique du Congo (RVA), to allow it to proceed with its inaugural commercial operations.

BlueSky had planned to begin scheduled domestic flights on March 22 only for the RVA to block the flight at the last moment. The RVA had argued that as BlueSky's owner and founder, Stavros Papaioannou, was also a 25% shareholder in the now defunct HBA - Hewa Bora Airways (EO, Kinshasa N'Djili), that he was liable for the USD6,966,823.80 still owed by HBA in unpaid service charges.

However, a Court of Appeal in Kinshasa earlier this week ruled the RVA's move to be "illegal and irregular" adding that it would be liable for damages in the region of USD30,000 per day should it not comply with the directive.

The Congolese start-up plans to use its sole MD-83, ex-Ryan International Airlines machine 9Q-CSZ (msn 53093), to serve Gemena, Goma, Kananga, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, and Mbuji Mayi. It also has plans to serve Johannesburg O.R. Tambo regionally.

Source: ch-aviation

[Flanker2]

I was wondering what happened to Stavros. He was keeping busy so it seems.
Whatever happened to Congo Airways? It was supposed to launch by the end of 2014.

Korongo is such a waste. SN invested so much into it, so they should definitely use this airline to create a hub in either FBM or FIH and feed their A330 flights. They created the opportunity to do something great, and now they're getting lazy.

[sn26567]

ECAir, Equatorial Congo Airlines, is continuing to expand its network.

Congolese businessman seizes ECAIR B757 in Paris

ECAIR - Equatorial Congo Airlines) says the seizure of one of its two B757-200s, HB-JJE (msn 27219), at Paris CDG on Saturday, April 11, is an 'illegal' act adding that it intends to seek damages.

According to the La Lettre du Continent magazine, Congolese businessman François Odzali successfully obtained a Paris court ruling claiming the Congolese government, as owners of the airline, still owed him EUR70 million (USD76.3 million) for the destruction of an industrial complex during the Republic of Congo's civil war in 1997 and for non-payment of electrification work undertaken for the subsequent government.

Odzali's case is complicated by the fact that he chaired the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Trade in Brazzaville under then president Pascal Lissouba. Lissouba was ousted by Denis Sassou Nguesso in 1997. But, while he won his case in the Congolese courts, Odzali never received any restitution from the government leading to him pursuing his claims in France.

For its part, ECAir says the seizure is illegal as it, as an airline, has nothing to do with the case nor with any of the parties involved.

"This seizure is considered by Equatorial Congo Airlines manifestly illegal because it is based on a judgement between parties other than ECAir and the amount awarded in this judgement is not owed specifically by Equatorial Congo Airlines," it said.

Though the aircraft is wet-leased from PrivatAir (Switzerland), it is now the fourth seizure of an African airline's aircraft this year following those of Air Algérie, CEIBA Intercontinental, and Force Aérienne Gabonaise (Libreville) (Gabonese Presidential Jet).

Source: ch-aviation

[sn26567]

Korongo Airlines is poised to benefit from a capital increase, according to reliable sources close to the case. According to these rumours, the final decision should fall this week.

The airline flies with only one aircraft, which is not sustainable in the long term. Shall this capital injection reinvigorate the company, which has never been profitable? The choice is simple: expand or perish!

Anyway, it seems that there are three candidate-investors, one of which is Star Alliance member Ethiopian Airlines.

[Boeing767copilot]

Democratic Republic of Congo's new national airline on Wednesday promised cheaper and safer air travel in a country long known for its notoriously poor transport infrastructure.
Air travel in Congo has been dogged by lax safety standards, frequent crashes and poor service. All domestic carriers are banned from operating inside the European Union for safety reasons.
Congo Airways, whose launch is set for June 30, will aim "to relieve the pain of Congolese" and its first plane, an Airbus 320, is being painted in preparation for the inaugural flight, the airline's director general Claude Kirongozi said.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuter ... aunch.html

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Dear All,

Is someone able to tell a little bit more about the future of Korongo Airlines please?

Do they have some expansion plan or is this company doomed to fail?

Thanks

[Flanker2]

The airline flies with only one aircraft, which is not sustainable in the long term. Shall this capital injection reinvigorate the company, which has never been profitable? The choice is simple: expand or perish!

Spot on. I think that Mr. Allard can do interesting things if he's given the cash and a bit of freedom.

Anyway, it seems that there are three candidate-investors, one of which is Star Alliance member Ethiopian Airlines.

ET surely is the one that's fearing Korongo.
If Korongo play their cards right and invest as they should with a real hub at FBM, in fact replicating ET's ADD hub, they can put ET in a world of pain, as discussed in the other thread. ET feeds a lot of high yielding regional traffic from neighboring countries to their hub, which has been key to achieving their sustainable growth.

IMO Korongo's window of opportunity is closing, the same mistake SN made in its own hub. They only started becoming proactive once they were surrounded by the likes of Ryanair and Vueling. Imagine what they could have achieved if they had offered lower fares back when they were alone and dominating BRU.
Korongo is still alone, but will soon come under attack of Congo Airways. So now they are starting to become proactive

[KriVa]

Topic cleaned up.