Aviation and Travel in the DRC

Although the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not fully benefited from its rich resources for various reasons and has a struggling tourist industry, visitors to the country have an abundance of sight-seeing attractions including Virunga National Park, the crown jewel in the country’s tourism industry, home of mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and the magnificent and active Nyiragongo volcano.

- Martin Chemhere

Airlines:

Domestic, African continent and international airlines fly to and from more than 50 airports, with 23 having scheduled commercial flights, including five classified as international airports - Ndjili (Kinshasa), Gbadolite, Goma, Lubumbashi, Kisangani and Mbuji-Mayi.

Based at Ndjili Kinshasa International Airport is flag carrier Congo Airways. It made its maiden flight on 9 October 2015, after the country had lasted more than 13 years without a flag carrier. DRC had reasserted itself in this strategic area through the creation of a new national airline.

The official launching ceremony was held at Ndjili Kinshasa. Part of the ceremony were the inaugural domestic flights in two Airbus A320 aircraft, one on the Kinshasa - Lubumbashi route, and the other on the route from Kinshasa to Kisangani via Goma.

Desire Belazire Bantu (CEO) leads Congo Airways whose national destinations are Lubumbashi, Kisangani, Goma, Kindu, Mbuji-Mayi, Mbandaka, Gemena and Isiro. The airline has a working relationship with the French company and highly reputed global air industry leader, Air France -KL.