Air Congo, the newly established flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has announced a significant expansion of its route network, marking a major milestone in its evolution from a domestic operator to a regional player in Africa’s aviation landscape.
The airline, which commenced operations in December 2024 with domestic flights out of Kinshasa N’Djili International Airport, revealed plans to launch its first five international services starting March and April 2026. The new destinations extend Air Congo’s footprint across Southern, Central, East and West Africa, a bold move less than 18 months after its inaugural flight.
Under the planned schedule, Kinshasa–Johannesburg and Kinshasa–Entebbe services are set to begin on 22 March, followed by Kinshasa–Douala and Kinshasa–Cotonou on 28 March, and a Kinshasa–Dar es Salaam service on 4 April. Routes will be operated using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, reflecting a step up from the carrier’s previous regional service to Addis Ababa.
Air Congo’s expansion comes amid delays in the delivery of two ATR 72-600 turboprops that had been intended to support its domestic and regional operations, though Ethiopian Airlines , which owns 49% of Air Congo expects the aircraft to arrive in mid-April 2026.
