AIR TRANSPORT: DRC AND FRANCE OPEN UP THE SKIES, AIR CONGO GAINS GROUND ON PARIS

Kinshasa and Paris have just raised the cap on flights between the two countries. A direct win for Air Congo, which secures its future on the country’s most strategic route.

The sky between Kinshasa and Paris is about to get wider.

The DRC and France signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on air transport on Friday, September 12, 2026. Announced by the French Embassy in Kinshasa, the agreement changes the game starting in April 2027.

What changes in practice:

1. More flights: The number of authorized frequencies will increase from 7 to 11 per week for each country. That’s a 57% increase. This should mean more choice, more direct flights, and it opens the door to new routes.

2. Air Congo secured on Paris: This is the key point for Kinshasa. The agreement guarantees a long-term presence for Air Congo on the Kinshasa-Paris route from Spring 2027, under the bilateral air agreement.

This is a breath of fresh air for the young national carrier. Launched in December 2024 as a joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines (51% Congolese State / 49% Ethiopian), Air Congo is affected by the EU flight ban that applies to all airlines certified in the DRC.

To get around this, it operates under a wet lease (ACMI): a Boeing 787-8 in Air Congo colors, but provided with crew, maintenance, and insurance by Ethiopian Airlines. The service, launched on August 18, 2026, operates on a triangular routing: Kinshasa – Brussels – Paris – Kinshasa, with 5 flights per week.

3. A green component: The memorandum also includes a cooperation pillar for more sustainable aviation, in line with both countries’ commitments to ICAO.

For the DRC, where Congo Airways remains grounded due to a lack of aircraft, this agreement establishes Air Congo as its new international flag carrier and strengthens connectivity, which is vital for human, economic, and academic exchanges between the two capitals.