Brussels Airlines has received the necessary documentation from the government authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to set up a local subsidiary in that country.
According to information from Brussels Airlines, the new airline will be called Korongo Airlines and will be set up in partnership with investment company George Forrest International and other private investors. It will operate on regional routes in the Central African country, as well as to several other cities including Johannesburg.
It's expected that Korongo Airlines will now begin operations in March or April this year, according to an article in a Belgian newspaper. Two years ago, Brussels Airlines and mining magnate George Forrest formed a partnership to form an airline that would provide domestic flights in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It was expected that an airline formed by Brussels Airlines would earn the trust of the Congolese traveling public as the existing local airlines have very poor safety records and have been involved in numerous accidents that have claimed several lives. DR Congo's airlines have always been christened "Flying Coffins" due to their poor safety records.
According to Brussels Airlines, many businessmen, UN officials and aid workers in the Congo have repeatedly asked for a safe airline for flights between towns and cities in the vast Central African country that's estimated to be the size of Western Europe and without a proper road network. A local Brussels Airlines subsidiary will also provide travelers from the Congo the convenience of easy connections to international flights on Brussels Airlines.
The ambitions of Brussels Airlines and George Forrest were long crippled by bureaucratic obstacles. Late last year, the airline and George Forrest International invested $11 million in Korongo Airlines but had faced vehement opposition by the aviation Union leaders in Belgium and the opposition in the DR Congo.
According to George Forrest, the way is now clear for the launch of the newest bird in the Skies of the Congo: "We now have all authorizations to the last signature" He continued, "We have a few weeks for our structure to start,"
Korongo Airlines will use Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province as its hub.
The news of the breakthrough is positive for Congo and the Congolese aviation fraternity. Korongo Airlines will definitely usher in some assurance of safety to the chaotic and dangerous Congolese aviation scene that has claimed thousands of lives.
Email Us at FlightAfricablog@gmail.com
According to information from Brussels Airlines, the new airline will be called Korongo Airlines and will be set up in partnership with investment company George Forrest International and other private investors. It will operate on regional routes in the Central African country, as well as to several other cities including Johannesburg.
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| Korongo Airlines: "Korongo" is Swahili for migratory birds |
It was expected that an airline formed by Brussels Airlines would earn the trust of the Congolese traveling public as the existing local airlines have very poor safety records and have been involved in numerous accidents that have claimed several lives. DR Congo's airlines have always been christened "Flying Coffins" due to their poor safety records.
According to Brussels Airlines, many businessmen, UN officials and aid workers in the Congo have repeatedly asked for a safe airline for flights between towns and cities in the vast Central African country that's estimated to be the size of Western Europe and without a proper road network. A local Brussels Airlines subsidiary will also provide travelers from the Congo the convenience of easy connections to international flights on Brussels Airlines.
 |
| Mining magnate George Forrest made his fortune in the Democratic Republic of Congo's brutal mines |
According to George Forrest, the way is now clear for the launch of the newest bird in the Skies of the Congo: "We now have all authorizations to the last signature" He continued, "We have a few weeks for our structure to start,"
Korongo Airlines will use Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province as its hub.
The news of the breakthrough is positive for Congo and the Congolese aviation fraternity. Korongo Airlines will definitely usher in some assurance of safety to the chaotic and dangerous Congolese aviation scene that has claimed thousands of lives.
Email Us at FlightAfricablog@gmail.com
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