Congo civil aviation authorities get tough, again

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Written by Nell Alcantara

The Congolese (DRC) government has reportedly revoked the permits to fly international routes for both Lubumbashi-based Korongo Airlines, a partnership of Brussels Airlines and other European investor

The Congolese (DRC) government has reportedly revoked the permits to fly international routes for both Lubumbashi-based Korongo Airlines, a partnership of Brussels Airlines and other European investors with local counterparts, and for Kinshasa-based flyCAA last week, prompting the two airlines to hold urgent talks with the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority to establish reasons for the decision and launch an appeals process.

The permits were, according to a Goma-based source, cancelled without prior notice or warning.

At the same time, the Air Operator Certificates (AOC) of several other airlines were cancelled, effectively grounding carries who, according to the source, failed to progress through the stages of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Hence, implementing a recommendation by the International Civil Aviation Organization that member countries should sanction airlines that do not comply with or fail IOSA requirements.

The airlines named were Okapi Airlines and Congo Express, while several others, according to the report, were given a month-long deadline to remedy shortcomings found or else face a similar fate.

The Congo DR has one of the worst air accident record and ICAO and IATA have been working hand in hand to improve operational safety through audits and by strengthening the regulatory oversight regime in order to improve the safety of such operations.

All of Congoโ€™s airlines are currently banned by the EU from flying into or over European airspace and are listed on the notorious โ€œBlack List.โ€

In the latest development over the ban on international flights, news are also emerging that flyCAA has entered into a deal with a South African upstart Trans-African Airways to circumnavigate the ban slapped on Congo-registered aircraft, using aircraft leased from South Africa with South African registration.

Presently, flyCAA uses a wet-leased South African registered B737 to continue flights from Kinshasa via Lumbumbashi to Johannesburg.

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