Camair-Co

Last updated

Camair-Co
Camair-Co logo.png
IATA ICAO Call sign
QCCRCCAMAIRCO
Founded11 September 2006 (2006-09-11)
Commenced operations28 March 2011 (2011-03-28)
Hubs Douala International Airport
Focus cities Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport
Frequent-flyer program Star Awards
Fleet size6
Destinations12
Parent company Government of Cameroon
Headquarters Douala, Cameroon
Key peopleErnest Dikoum (General Director)
Website Camair

The Cameroon Airlines Corporation, trading as Camair-Co, is an airline from Cameroon, serving as flag carrier of the country, a role which was previously filled by the now-defunct Cameroon Airlines. [1] Camair-Co has its headquarters in the Immeuble La Rotonde in Douala, [2] and operates out of Douala International Airport. [3] The airline has never made a profit, and is struggling under the weight of its debts; most of its aircraft are currently grounded. [4] [5] The company slogan is French : L'étoile du Cameroun, The Star of Cameroon.

Contents

History

Inaugural flight on 28 March 2011. Avion camerounais dans les airs.jpg
Inaugural flight on 28 March 2011.

Camair-co was created on 11 September 2006 by decree of Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, as a company aimed at replacing Cameroon Airlines, the country's national airline at that time. The IATA code QC previously belonged to Air Corridor, which has since ceased operations. Cameroon Airlines was shut down in June 2008, [6] but it took until 2011 for Camair-Co to launch flight services. The inaugural flight from Douala to Paris via Yaoundé took place on 28 March. [7] On 30 September 2016 the airline ceased services to Paris as part of a network restructuring exercise. [8]

Lossmaking since its launch in 2011, the Camair-Co reportedly had debts about 35 billion Central African CFA franc, and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) had ordered the company to pay its arrears of royalties amounting to 100,390 million FCFA, under suspension of air navigation services. [4]

Camair-Co was the subject of a recovery plan proposed by the US firm Boeing Consulting in 2016, which included settlement of the outstanding debt, the injection of FCFA 60 billion, resizing of the network and the modernisation of the fleet, but the plan has not been implemented. [4]

In 2020, Paul Biya, the president of Cameroon, ordered urgent restructuring to facilitate the selling of a controlling share in the airline to a "strategic private investor." In 2023, the IMF placed Camair-Co under a performance contract, along with other state-owned enterprises. [9]

Corporate affairs

Ownership

Camair-Co, with a capital of 100 million CFA francs, was created by Presidential Decree No. 2006/293 of 11 September 2006 with the State of Cameroon as the sole shareholder. [10]

Camair-Co has been loss-making since its creation. Financial and other trends for Camair-Co (for years ending 31 December) are:

20112012201320142015201620172018
Turnover (XAFbn)1528.8
Turnover (US$m)32.2
Net profit (XAFbn)9.0lossloss17.310.1losslossloss
Net profit (US$m)18.1losslosslosslosslosslossloss
Number of employees (at year end)<400520
Number of passengers (m)0.110.120.24
Passenger load factor (%)45
Number of aircraft (at year end)33355
Notes/sources [11] [12] [13] [13] [14] [14] [5]

Destinations

The Camair Boeing 767 at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, in 2012 TJ-CAC "MIAM-MIAM" (7649293000).jpg
The Camair Boeing 767 at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, in 2012

As of December 2024, Camair-Co offers scheduled flights to the following destinations: [15]

CountryCityICAOIATAAirport
Benin Cotonou DBBBCOO Cadjehoun Airport
Cameroon Bafoussam FKKUBFX Bafoussam Airport
Cameroon Douala FKKDDLA Douala International Airport
Cameroon Garoua FKKRGOU Garoua International Airport
Cameroon Maroua FKKLMVR Salak Airport
Cameroon Ngaoundéré FKKNNGE Ngaoundéré Airport
Cameroon Yaoundé FKYSNSI Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport
Central African Republic Bangui FEEFBGF Bangui M'Poko International Airport
Chad N'Djamena FTTJNDJ N'Djamena International Airport
Gabon Libreville FOOLLBV Libreville International Airport
Republic of Congo Brazzaville FCBBBZV Maya–Maya Airport
Republic of Congo Pointe-Noire FCPPPNR Agostinho-Neto International Airport

Interline agreements

Camair-Co currently has a Interline agreement with Hahn Air. [16]

Fleet

Current fleet

A Camair-Co Boeing 737-700 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2014. Camair Co Boeing 737-700 TJ-QCB CDG 2014-05-17.png
A Camair-Co Boeing 737-700 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2014.

As of August 2025, Camair-Co operates the following aircraft: [17]

Camair-Co fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes/sources
CYTotal
Boeing 737-700 2-12116128
Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 2--7070 [18]
Xi'an MA60 2----
Total60

    Former fleet

    Camair-Co previously operated the following aircraft:

    See also

    References

    1. "Cameroon's aviation market experiences strong growth driven by Camair-Co and regional competitors". Centre for Aviation. 23 September 2013.
    2. "Contacts." Camair-Co. Retrieved on May 12, 2016. "Immeuble La Rotonde- Boulevard de la liberté BP 4852 Douala-Cameroun "
    3. Tumanjong, Emmanuel (28 March 2011). "New Cameroon State Aviation Corp. Targets Chinese Skies". Nasdaq. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
    4. 1 2 3 "Camair-Co souce la menace d'un arrêt des ses activités" [Camair-Co threatened with a halt to its activities]. Camair.be (in French). 11 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
    5. 1 2 "No more takeoff for Camair Co, all aircrafts[sic] out of order". Business in Cameroon. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
    6. "Atterissage définitif de la Camair". Les Afriques. 5 June 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
    7. "Camair.co: Le Cameroun reprend les airs" [Camair.co: Cameroon is back in the air]. CamerPress: Cameroonian Information Agency (in French). 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
    8. "Camair-Co". Airliner World (December 2016): 15.
    9. "Camair-Co slated for review as per latest IMF bailout". ch-aviation. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
    10. "L'Historique de la Compagnie" [History of the company] (in French). Camair-Co. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
    11. "New Cameroon national carrier Camair-Co fails to reach first year targets, but continues to grow". CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
    12. "Camair-Co to embark on restructuring program". ch-aviation. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
    13. 1 2 "Cameroon: 18 State-owned enterprises financially at risk, IMF says". Business in Cameroon. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
    14. 1 2 "Cameroon: Camair-Co transported 235,686 passengers in 2017". Business in Cameroon. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
    15. CAMTEL. "Cameroon Airlines Corporation: Programme des vols" [Cameroon Airlines Corporation: Flight Schedule]. www.camair-co.cm (in French). Camair-Co. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
    16. "Press Releases | Hahnair".
    17. "Global Airline Guide 2025 - TCamair-Co". Airliner World: 53. September 2025.
    18. "Camair-Co leases a bombardier Dash8-Q400". CH aviation. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
    19. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 8.