The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has lifted a Significant Security Concern (SSeC) flagged against the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ministry of Transport, Communication Routes and Regional Connectivity said on June 5, 2026.

The decision follows a civil aviation security oversight audit conducted from March 18 to 30, 2026, and a validation mission carried out by ICAO from May 25 to 29, 2026, at the international airports of Kinshasa/N'djili and Lubumbashi/Luano.

According to the ministry, the validation mission was intended to verify the effective implementation of corrective actions taken by Congolese authorities within the 30-day deadline set after the March audit. ICAO ultimately determined that the measures taken were sufficient to lift the significant security concern identified during the audit.

The audit report now credits the DRC with a 69.15% implementation rate for the critical elements of its civil aviation security oversight system. That marks a significant improvement over the previous audit in November 2017, when the country scored 49.84%. It also exceeds the African average cited by the ministry, which stands at 64.5%.

Recognised progress

The improvement forms part of broader reforms in the Congolese aviation sector. A separate ICAO audit in 2023 had already documented an improvement in the DRC's compliance with international civil aviation standards, with a score of 64.07%, compared with 50% in 2018 and 11% in 2006.

The lifting of the SSeC reflects efforts by the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC), the Air Routes Authority (RVA) and other aviation sector stakeholders to strengthen national aviation security mechanisms. It also improves the country's standing with ICAO and international air transport partners.

The development does not, however, remove all obstacles facing Congolese carriers. In its update of Dec. 8, 2025, the European Commission kept carriers certified by Congolese authorities on its list of airlines banned or subject to restrictions in European Union airspace.

The restriction relates to aviation safety and is not automatically lifted when an ICAO security concern is removed. The ICAO decision could nevertheless support efforts by Congolese authorities to secure broader international recognition of their aviation oversight system.

Boaz Kabeya