Launch of new Congolese airline

The Brussels Airlines Group together with Hewa Bora Airways of Congo has created a new Congolese airline. The new airline will operate according to international standards from Kinshasa and offer both domestic and international flights.

The Brussels Airlines Group’s participation in the new company is via its affiliate, Pan African Airlines Leasing Company Ltd. Pan African Airlines is a company based in Mauritius and is specialized in the development of African aviation projects and aviation partnerships.

Pan African owns 49 pct of the shares of the new airline and the Hewa Bora Airways Group holds the remaining 51 pct.

The new airline will start its operations as soon as possible after all necessary preparations work has been done and licenses have been granted. The name of the airline will be announced at a later stage.

Safety, punctuality, reliability and comfort

The airline will operate according to international standards. The home base is Kinshasa’s main airport N’Djili. Safety, punctuality, reliability and comfort are the key values on which the airline will be built.

Both domestic and international services are planned, operated on Boeing 737 and BAe 146 aircraft.

A close relationship

The new airline will work in a close relationship with Brussels Airlines, which will provide both management resources and operational know how.

Thank to a codeshare agreement, the new airline will also sell tickets on the Kinshasa – Brussels service operated by Brussels Airlines.

The domestic and regional flights of the new airline will provide smooth connections from its destinations to the long haul services operated by Brussels Airlines and via Brussels to Europe, the US, India and the Middle East.

Hewa Bora Airways has an in-depth experience of organizing airline activities across the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), and the new airline will make use of this knowledge.

“We are very happy that we can build, together with our partners, a new airline project for the Congo that will become in no time the aviation reference of the country”, says Brussels Airlines CEO Philippe Vander Putten. “Brussels Airlines will share all its operational knowledge, acquired during 80 years of aviation experience in Africa, with the new company.”

“We are very happy to be able to announce this solid partnership”, says Hewa Bora Airways CEO Philippe de Moerloose. “ Our collaboration will allow the Democratic Republic of Congo to develop out of Kinshasa quality airline services operating according to international standards, hereby contributing to the unlocking of its vast hinterland. Our collaboration with Brussels Airlines allows us to create synergies and transfers of know how from both sides, so as to join the best of our both worlds.”