■ CONGO (KINSHASA): FlyCAA boss decries heavy taxation in the DRC as discouraging a safety-first mentality amongst airlines.

Jean-Marc Pajot, the Director of Congolese domestic and regional operator, FlyCAA (a tie up between CAA - Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (FPY), and flyCongo (EO)) says the DRC's heavy taxation of aircraft and related sundries seriously discourages and impedes airlines from pursuing a "safety-first" mentality.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): CAA considering an eventual buy out of flyCongo?

According to CH-Aviation, CAA - Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (FPY), the Kinshasa-based Congolese carrier, is said to be planning the eventual acquisition of partner, flyCongo (EO), the successor to the now defunct Hewa Bora Airways, with whom it has been in a partnership since October 2012.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): flyCongo to start Johannesburg from late June.

Congolese carrier flyCongo (EO), previously known as Hewa Bora Airways, has announced 2x weekly Boeing 767-200ER flights from Kinshasa to Johannesburg, South Africa via Lubumbashi, DRC, with effect from 27 June 2012. 

The new route will be flyCongo's first regional route as it currently only serves Congolese cities. 

flyCongo's Boeing 767-200ER

flyCongo: Kinshasa - Lubumbashi - Johannesburg
From 27 June 2012

• EO031 FIH0900 – 1215FBM1315 – 1530JNB 762 3

• EO061 FIH0900 – 1215FBM1315 – 1530JNB 762 6

• EO042 JNB1020 – 1235FBM1345 – 1500FIH 762 4

• EO072 JNB1020 – 1235FBM1345 – 1500FIH 762 7

Read More Here [AirlineRoute]

Presently, the Kinshasa - Johannesburg route is serviced by Korongo Airlines and South African Airways.

● CONGO (KINSHASA): Government grounds aircraft of 29 airlines.

In a country where the words "aviation" and "safety" are not often seen together, The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Civil Aviation Authority today took a significant step toward safer skies by grounding the aircraft of 29 airlines that were found to have invalid airworthiness certificates. 

The list included aircraft of the newly reborn Hewa Bora Airways, now known as flyCongo who, despite making international press in March by physically destroying 6 of its ageing fleet, have failed to shake off their image of being unsafe.

The list includes:

• Lignes aériennes congolaises (Lac); 1 aircraft
• Tracep-Congo (2)
• Gomair (1)
• Air Tropiques (1)
• Air Kasaï (1)
• Kin-Avia (1)
• M.A.F. (4) 

 All of these airlines are, at present, on the EU Blacklist.

The boneyard at Kinshasa's N'djili Airport (Serge Bailleul)

"According to sources close to the AAC, the publication of this list is part of the implementation of the sixteen measures imposed by the Minister of Transport and Communication Channels, Justin Kalumba, Friday, April 18, to clean up Congolese airspace.After his visits to the premises of the Civil Aviation Authority, the RVA (RVA) and Ndjili airport, Minister Kalumba had asked the AAC to ground immediately, after a technical inspection, all aircraft that do not meet airworthiness requirements.On Tuesday May 15, after leaving a meeting with the authorities of the AAC, Justin Kalumba stated that the purpose of its action is to get Congolese airlines off the blacklist of companies, subject to an operating ban within the European Union."

Read More Here [RadioKapi Congo - French]