Kenya Airways and Congo Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate, strengthen and bolster aviation ties between Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Thursday (April 22, 2021), Kenya Airways announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Congo Airways to bolster aviation ties between Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The new partnership will cover technical capability building, commercial cooperation and human resource training. signing of the MoU was witnessed by the President of Kenya, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta and the President of Congo, H.E. Félix Tshisekedi on the last day of President Kenyatta’s last day of a three-day visit to the DRC. The agreement was signed by Kenya Airways Group’s CEO, Allan Kilavuka and his Congo Airways counterpart Désiré Balazire Bantu in Kinshasa.
In Thursday’s announcement, Kenya Airways Group’s CEO, Allan Kilavuka, said,
“The cooperation between Kenya Airways and Congo Airways will cover technical capacity building, commercial cooperation and human resource training. Part of this will cover cost effective aircraft maintenance and technical expertise, particularly on the Embraer E-Jet fleet training in engineering, flight deck and crew, route codeshare opportunities and other synergies. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated containment measures aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus disrupted the aviation sector, with most markets operating at reduced capacity and some fully shutting down. As the global economies continue to rebound steadily, this commitment provides an opportunity to leverage on the strengths of the industry players in the future.”
Also commenting on the new strategic cooperation agreement, Congo Airways’ CEO, Désiré Balazire Bantu, added,
“Congo Airways is very excited about this agreement with Kenya Airways. This partnership will contribute to the promotion and the development of both companies. The air transport sector has been very impacted by the pandemic with COVID-19. Together we will provide better solutions and innovations. In the future our companies will be able to face the single air transport market as decided by the African Union.”
Kenya Airways (KQ) currently operates an Embraer maintenance service center through their Technical Department, as the carrier has flown Embraer E-jets since 2008. The company’s MRO facility has two state-of-the art hangars, mechanical and avionics workshops and expansive warehousing capabilities. The facility handles line maintenance for Embraer E-jets, as well as Boeing 737s and 787s.
Kenya Airways is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and currently offers service to 41 destinations, including 34 in Africa, and carries over 4 million passengers annually. The company’s fleet of 32 aircraft is one of the youngest and Africa and includes their flagship Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Internationally, the airline serves London, Amsterdam, Guangzhou, Sharjah, Mumbai and over 25 intra-African routes. Kenya Airways offers renowned onboard service and the carrier’s 787-8 lie-flat Business Class seat is consistently voted among the top 10 in the world. The airline’s primary hub is located at the new ultra-modern Terminal 1A at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Founded on August 15, 2014, Congo Airways is the state-owned carrier of the Democratic republic of Congo. The airline is a full member of IATA, AFRAA and ATAF and owns two Airbus A320s and two De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. The carrier expects to expand their fleet with two Embraer E190-E2s and two Embraer E195-E2s shortly. Congo Airways operates 15 domestic routes and resumed regional service to Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2020.
Source: Kenya Airways
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