How Team Congo can pull
«xing Balazire Bantu was appointed chief
executiveof Congo Airways in 2016
‘with amandate todeliver sustainable
growth the state-owned flag-catier which
launched services the previous year
His aim of deploying 1Oairraft by 2020
‘quickly unraveled when the then president,
joseph Kabila, refused tostep down at the end of
his term, igniting full-blown political erisisin
the Democratic Repablicof the Congo (DRC).
Te was not until this January that asuecessor
replaced him and eatve calm returned to
«capital city Kinshasa,
“Allo of things changed. Thecountry was
‘expecting tohaveeletions but they were
postponed fr two years and this had an impact
‘on our strategy” Balazie recalled
“Because we area publie-owned company. we
need to have government which can plan with
usfor the long: term. The government we had
during the transition period could not [do
that]. But we have, now; new president. He
recently appointed the prime minister. They are
working to have anew cabinet, And [think that
with that team we ean work now for our future.”
Despite the challenging climate, Congo
Airways has expanded its presence and now
serves 14 airports inthe vast contra African
‘country. Mos of is routes are operated witha
Fallyovsned leet of two Airbus A520s and two
De Havilland Canada Dash-8 0400s, though
Jeasesareabo frequently used olit
capacity
Aes to expand beyond the DRC
borders have been les sucess:
only one ofthe three
international markets added
last year Johannesburg
(South Afica)~ is stil being
served!
Asked about the losure
‘of thefith freedom route
from Kinshasa via Douala
(Cameroon) to Cotonou.
(Genin), Balazre blamed
tough competition with the
established anfines,
“Wearenat the only
operator. Wehave Kenya
Airways, Ethiopian, Asky
andalso Air Cote
lite,” henoted
*Passongs
familiar with their
products and soon, This
means we have towork
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be travelling with,
20
Congo Airways boss,
Desiré Balazire Bantu,
explains to Martin Rivers
and Romuald Ngueyap
how political unrest at
bome bas slowed the
flag.carrie
growth plans.
at
Par eeny
place Congo Airways ean
Berean
The chef executive cited astudy by one
constant which four that only 35 passengers
‘were likely to rave each way on the Kinshasa
Dowel leg. That would represent a 51% load
Factoron the Q400, making the route
‘commercially unviable, even with the smallest
del in Congo Airways’ let.
‘Cargo uplilt in Bein also fellshort ofthe
‘company’s expectations, he added
Management will re-examine” the business
«ease for Douala and Cotonou inthe future but
Kinshasa is unlikely to be used asthe point of
origin.
Tastead, Balazirenow wants to introduce
five-point service originating in Brazzaville, the
cepitalof neighbouring Congo Brazzaville, That
Tine would ist stop in Libreville (Gabon) before
passing through Douala and Cotonou and
‘eventually reaching Abidjan (Coted"Wvoire). Its
‘considered viable because of the rent failure of
Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECA, Congo
Brazzaville’: own flag-arer
“Andako. we have Bangui, Balazire noted,
referringto thecapialof the Central Atican
Republic. “The airport asked us ogo there. but
thereisnomarket fr travel from Bangui to
Kinshasa, But theres from Brazzaville to Bangui”
‘Congo Airways previously seta target of
‘opening eight new overseas stationsin 2019.
‘alsoincluding Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzavill),
Bujumbura (Burundi), Nairobi (Kenya) and
Luanda (Angola) —but meaningful expansion
‘willnot be possible unt more areralt ointhe
Meet. Theres, therefore, no
cintrame for any of the route
launches,
Efforts to spread the fag
carrier's wings beyond
Africa alsolack
‘omenturn, though
Balazre remains hopeful
that European and Asian
flights could get off the
round by 2021
In Europe, weare
targeting Brussels and
Paris," heeonfirmed,
"Congo Airways is
already in the process
‘of undergoing] third
country operator
(TCO) certification.
Weare ako targeting
Asia 0 goto Dubai
and Guangzhou, and
wovill se if weean
‘also combine this with
Murbai
Asked about plans toaequire
twowide-bodies fortheGROWTH
away from the turbulence
proposed longhaul network, the chief executive
dwplayed suggestions of «diet order with
Airbus or Bocing,
“Wehave nwo possibilities, “heinsstod. “The
frstonestolease the wide-bodies. Wehave some
offers fromlesorsankl we wll ontine discussing
‘wth hem. Te ther possibility stocolaborate
with Ethiopian Aili. They are redo gives
tho ght irra, They cansubease them,”
Seo a
ot ate
Beet ens aons
Balazireis confident that Congo Airways will
secure TCO status from the European Union this
‘year notingits suceessful completion ofthe
Intemational Air Transport Assocation (IATA)
operational safety audit (OSA) in 2018,
However if thoreis a delay to certification, the
airline alsohas a thre option: taking delivery of
‘wide bodies and registering them in a foreign
country undera flag of convenience. That
approach has been favoured by Libya’ sirlines
Since theirinlusion on the European blacklist
But its considered lst resort by Congo
Airways, hich was created to aise standards in
theDRC,
‘On the financial sie, the irline'stumover
increased from $59 million in 2016074
nillion in 2017, “For 2018, the preliminary
figures indicate nearly $75 alion,”Balazire
said, cingthe impact of political unrest.
He added that talks with Ethiopian Aisines
shout a"sratepe partnership” ae also gathering
pace. Ethiopian Airlines has opted a multi-hub
Strategy by investing in several African ag
carers, including Togo’sAsky and Malawian
Airlines, Itisnow negotiating a 15% stake in
Congo Airway’ ground-hanaling subsidiary
Aica Handling, which could serve asa
precursor to buying equityin the airline
2016, the DRCsformer transport minister,
Justin Kalumba MwvanaNgongo, told African
Aeraspacethat Ethiopian Aries had sen him six
Jesters askingoinvestin Congo Airways
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