Congo’s national carrier Air Congo said on Wednesday it would launch its first five regional routes from March 2026, marking its expansion beyond domestic operations.
The announcement comes nearly a week after the delivery of a Boeing 737-800, bringing its fleet to three aircraft of the same type. The transport ministry had previously said the aircraft was part of a strategy to open new regional destinations.
Flights to Entebbe and Johannesburg will begin on March 22. Services to Cotonou and Douala will start on March 28, followed by Dar es Salaam on April 4, 2026. Air Congo is 51% owned by the Congolese state and 49% by Ethiopian Airlines. The expansion extends its network across Central, East and Southern Africa.
Competition on the Kinshasa-Entebbe route
By launching flights to Entebbe, Air Congo enters a route already served by Uganda Airlines. The Ugandan carrier operates six weekly flights on the route.
However, Uganda Airlines has faced operational difficulties in recent months, including flight cancellations and baggage delays. In addition, two Airbus A330-800neo aircraft have been grounded since Feb. 20 for maintenance issues, temporarily reducing long-haul capacity and complicating scheduling at a time of strong regional demand.
In a letter dated Feb. 13, 2026, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni instructed the transport minister to appoint Girma Wake, former chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, as acting general manager of Uganda Airlines. The move aims to address management weaknesses identified within the state-owned carrier.
On the Kinshasa-Dar es Salaam route, Air Congo will compete with Air Tanzania, which has operated four weekly flights since April 2025. The Tanzanian carrier first launched services to Lubumbashi before expanding to Kinshasa.
Limited competition on Kinshasa-Douala
Currently, travellers heading to Douala or Cotonou from Kinshasa must connect via Addis Ababa, Lomé or Abidjan. Direct flights would significantly reduce travel times.
That exclusive position on the Kinshasa-Douala route may be short-lived. Cameroon’s state-owned Camair-Co has said it plans to launch services to Kinshasa, initially announced for late 2025.
Founded in 2024, Air Congo has so far operated only domestic routes, serving Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kisangani, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga, Kindu and Kolwezi with two Boeing 737-800s. Speaking at the Makutano forum last year, Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba said the airline had recorded load factors of between 80% and 100%, encouraging management to expand regionally.
The airline also said it expects to receive an ATR 72-600 next month to strengthen its domestic network. The aircraft will be used to serve Beni, Bunia, Isiro, Gbadolite, Mbandaka and Kalemie.
Timothée Manoke
