The Democratic Republic of Congo's transport ministry announced Monday that Air Congo is set to receive a new ATR 72-600 aircraft on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The announcement followed a meeting held Monday, April 27, between Vice Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew Bekele, and Air Congo Director General Mesfin Biru Weldegeorgis.
The ministry said the 70-seat aircraft will help strengthen the carrier's domestic operations, in a market where domestic air connectivity remains limited. The Congolese state holds a 51% stake in Air Congo.
New domestic routes
A few days before the transport ministry's announcement, Air Congo had announced new domestic routes, including Beni, Bunia, Isiro, Gbadolite and Kalemie, with a route to Bunia set to begin on May 1, 2026.
The incoming aircraft is the first of two new ATR 72-600s leased by Ethiopian Airlines for Air Congo's operations. Ethiopian Airlines holds a 49% stake in the Congolese carrier. In November 2025, ATR said the two aircraft were scheduled to enter service in February 2026.
The schedule has since slipped. In early March, Air Congo's director general told aviation trade publication Ch-aviation that the first delivery was now expected in early or mid-April 2026. He attributed the delay to several factors, including tests conducted by the manufacturer and visa difficulties faced by Ethiopian Airlines technicians and Ethiopian civil aviation authority personnel who needed to travel to France.
Timothée Manoke
