Congo Airways has entered its seventh month of grounding amid mounting debt and operational paralysis.
According to newsaero.info, employees have called on the Minister of State Portfolio to order an urgent financial and administrative audit, citing over USD 80 million in unpaid obligations, failed aircraft lease deals, and salary arrears stretching up to ten months.
The company has not operated scheduled flights since April 2025. The suspension results from the lack of airworthy aircraft and the inability to maintain the airline’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Both Airbus A320s in the fleet, as well as the remaining Dash 8 aircraft, are grounded. One of the Dash 8-Q400s sent to Malta in 2023 for maintenance was auctioned in 2024 following a legal dispute. The carrier had temporarily sustained limited operations through ACMI wet-lease arrangements, notably with KlasJet, but these contracts were insufficient to restore continuity or market presence.
The letter directly questions the performance of the current Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre Tshikala Mukendi, appointed in January 2025. According to staff representatives, the management has not delivered the recovery objectives outlined in the performance contract signed with the State in 2024.
The letter points to operational restart plans that were repeatedly announced yet never executed, a lack of internal communication, and the appointment of a “Presidential Coordinator” whose role, according to the staff, has no discernible technical relevance to airline operations. It also raises concerns regarding financial decisions taken outside standard public procurement procedures, a point seen as contradictory to the government’s stated objective of reinforcing transparency and efficiency in State-owned enterprises.
READ: Africa: Congo Airways Temporarily Halts Operations to Enhance Efficiency and Passenger Safety”
A central element of the staff’s concern relates to two failed attempts to lease Airbus A320 aircraft. Funds released by the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) were intended to facilitate the dry lease of two aircraft to preserve the AOC and enable a minimum level of flight operations. One aircraft sourced from South Africa was announced for entry into service in mid-September but never arrived in Kinshasa, with no official explanation provided. A second leasing process involving a U.S.-based supplier resulted in the transfer of an advance payment of USD 255,000, before the counterpart disappeared. This case is now the subject of a fraud complaint filed with the Public Prosecutor. Both transactions were reportedly conducted without competitive tendering, raising additional governance concerns.
As previously reported by NewsAero in September, the CNSS, the main shareholder, also acquired an Embraer E190 (MSN 19000105) as part of a fleet restructuring strategy aimed at restoring domestic and selected regional routes. The aircraft is currently undergoing maintenance in Toulouse. While the acquisition of up to three E190s had been initially considered, no clear timetable has been communicated for the aircraft’s entry into service, and no broader relaunch timeline has been made public.
READ: Africa: Congo Airways Temporarily Halts Operations to Enhance Efficiency and Passenger Safety”
During this suspension, Air Congo — the new national carrier formed in partnership between the Congolese State (51%) and Ethiopian Airlines (49%) — has continued to expand its network. It now serves the main domestic routes and is preparing to open international destinations including Johannesburg, Libreville, Luanda, Dubai and selected European cities. Supported by Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet and operational platform, Air Congo has progressively filled the space left vacant by Congo Airways since April.
The situation has also taken a significant social dimension. Employees report salary arrears reaching ten months for directly employed staff and up to twenty-four months for outsourced personnel under TM and Sodeico contracts. With the company’s staff transport service no longer operational, some employees are paying out-of-pocket simply to reach the airport, despite not receiving wages — a factor that has heightened tensions within the workforce.
The letter concludes with a warning that, without urgent intervention, Congo Airways faces the possible withdrawal of its Air Operator Certificate and a substantial increase in financial liabilities for the State, particularly linked to overdue salaries and potential termination settlements. As of publication, the Ministry of State Portfolio has not issued an official response.
