Congo Express was a
regional airline
A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...
created through a joint venture with South African Airlines (SA Express) and BizAfrika Congo, in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
. The airline's long-term strategy is to transform air transport in the region, stimulate markets and economic growth in mining and other growth sectors, develop hubs, and provide important links between lucrative destinations.
History
Congo Express was the first domestic airline in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It commenced operations on 1 February 2010, operating seven days a week and on three routes flying out of
Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...
, and multiple routes out of South Africa into Lubumbashi. The airline operations leveraged the South African platform, and under the managing director Didier Kindambu, flourished into a regional airline serving the business and diplomatic communities. The business community in DRC had access to Lubumbashi within a few hours; it previously took 3-4 days to reach this region on dilapidated roads.
Destinations
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Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...
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N'djili Airport
N'djili Airport (french: Aéroport de N'djili ), also known as N'Djili International Airport and Kinshasa International Airport, serves the city of Kinshasa and is the largest of the four international airports in the Democratic Republic of th ...
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Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi (former names: ( French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katanga ...
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Lubumbashi International Airport
Lubumbashi International Airport is an airport serving Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
History
Lubumbashi International Airport was founded in colonial times as the Elisabethville Airport.
It was also known as Luano airport.
This ...
, base
Fleet
The Congo Express fleet consisted of the following aircraft as of April 2012:
See also
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List of airlines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This is a list of airlines that have an air operator's certificate issued by the civil aviation authority of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Autorité de l'Aviation Civile.
Defunct airlines
This is a list of now defunct airlines fro ...
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South African Express
South African Express Airways SOC Ltd, known as South African Express or simply SA Express, was a state-owned airline based in South Africa that started operations on 24 April 1994. Although the airline was operationally independent of South ...
References
External links
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Lubumbashi
Defunct airlines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
{{DRCongo-stub