| |||||||
Founded | 1991 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operating bases | N'djili Airport | ||||||
Focus cities | Lubumbashi International Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Horizons | ||||||
Fleet size | 11 [3] | ||||||
Destinations | 11 [1] | ||||||
Headquarters | Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo | ||||||
Key people | David Blattner Daniel Blattner | ||||||
Website | caacongo.com |
Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation, branded as flyCAA, is a regional airline from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa. [1]
Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (CAA) was originally founded in 1991 and started operations on 26 December 1992. [4] In 2013, CAA merged with FlyCongo and formed flyCAA. [5] [6]
In January 2016, the airline terminated their only international route to Johannesburg after failing to receive renewed traffic rights. [7] In 2020, the airline acquired an Airbus A330-200 with the stated intention of flying to Brussels, Belgium which under current European Union restrictions would require CAA to operate the service using foreign registration and crew as FlyCAA has been banned in the EU. [8] [9]
In 2024, flyCAA expanded its fleet with a leased Boeing 767-200BDSF cargo aircraft. [10]
According to the August 2013 timetable, flyCAA operated scheduled flights to the following destinations: [11] [ needs update ] As of 2024, they downsized their network to 18 routes between 11 destinations. [1]
City | State | Airport |
---|---|---|
Beni | DR Congo | Beni Airport |
Boende | DR Congo | Boende Airport |
Bukavu | DR Congo | Kavumu Airport |
Bumba | DR Congo | Bumba Airport |
Bunia | DR Congo | Bunia Airport |
Gemena | DR Congo | Gemena Airport |
Goma | DR Congo | Goma International Airport |
Isiro | DR Congo | Matari Airport |
Kalemie | DR Congo | Kalemie Airport |
Kananga | DR Congo | Kananga Airport |
Kindu | DR Congo | Kindu Airport |
Kinshasa | DR Congo | N'djili Airport base [1] |
Kisangani | DR Congo | Bangoka International Airport |
Kongolo | DR Congo | Kongolo Airport |
Lisala | DR Congo | Lisala Airport |
Lodja | DR Congo | Lodja Airport |
Lubumbashi | DR Congo | Lubumbashi International Airport focus city [1] |
Mbandaka | DR Congo | Mbandaka Airport |
Mbuji-Mayi | DR Congo | Mbuji Mayi Airport |
Tshikapa | DR Congo | Tshikapa Airport |
As of November 2024, the flyCAA fleet consists of the following aircraft: [3]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A320-200 | 3 | — | 180 | |
Airbus A330-200 | 1 | — | 406 | |
ATR 72-500 | 1 | — | 70 | |
ATR 72-500F | 2 | — | Cargo | both stored [3] |
Boeing 767-200BDSF | 1 | — | Cargo | leased from CAM [3] |
Fokker 50 | 3 | — | 50 | |
Total | 11 | — |
Previously, flyCAA also operated the following aircraft types:
Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
Airbus A321-200 | 2016 | 2021 | [3] |
Fokker 100 | 2011 | 2014 | [3] |
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 2005 | 2010 | [3] |
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 2008 | 2012 | [3] |
The Antonov An-28 is a twin-engined light turboprop transport aircraft, developed from the Antonov An-14M. It was the winner of a competition against the Beriev Be-30, for use by Aeroflot as a short-range airliner. It first flew in 1969. A total of 191 were built and 16 remain in airline service as at August 2015. After a short pre-production series built by Antonov, it was licence-built in Poland by PZL-Mielec. In 1993, PZL-Mielec developed its own improved variant, the PZL M28 Skytruck.
Hewa Bora Airways Sarl was the national airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo based in Barumbu, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was one of Congo's largest airlines and operated regional and domestic services. Its main base was N'djili Airport. "Hewa bora" is Swahili for "fresh air". The company slogan was N°1 in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Wimbi Dira Airways was a scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves the country's main cities. As of May 2014 all of their planes were reported to be in storage.
The Trans Service Airlift Lockheed L-188 crash occurred on 18 December 1995 when a Lockheed L-188C Electra owned by Trans Service Airlift crashed near Jamba, Angola, killing 141 of the passengers and crew.
N'djili Airport, also known as N'Djili International Airport and Kinshasa International Airport, serves the city of Kinshasa and is the largest of the four international airports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is named after the nearby Ndjili River.
Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) was the flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was established in 1997 to succeed the folded Air Zaïre. Halting operations in 1999, it was reactivated for a short period in 2002, only to fold operations permanently in 2003.
Goma International Airport is an airport serving Goma, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa.
Air Zaïre was the national airline of Zaire. Its head office was located on the grounds of N'djili Airport in Kinshasa.
On 15 April 2008, Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 plane crashed into a residential and market area of Goma of the Democratic Republic of the Congo immediately south of Goma International Airport.
Filair was an airline based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It operated from N'Dolo Airport in Kinshasa. The airline was on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union, as well as all airlines regulated by the authorities in the DRC.
On 4 April 2011, Georgian Airways Flight 834, a Bombardier CRJ100 passenger jet of Georgian Airways operating a domestic flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crashed while attempting to land at Kinshasa Airport. The aircraft, which was chartered by the United Nations, was trying to land during a thunderstorm. Of the 33 people on board, only one person survived. The incident remains as the United Nations' deadliest aviation disaster. It is also the third-deadliest air disaster involving the CRJ100/200, behind Comair Flight 5191 and China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210.
On 8 July 2011, Hewa Bora Airways Flight 952, a Boeing 727 passenger jet on a domestic flight from Kinshasa, to Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), crashed on final approach at Kisangani, killing 74 of the 118 people on board.
Lignes Aériennes Congolaises, also known by its acronym LAC, was an airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its head office in Kinshasa, and its central administration on the property of N'djili Airport in Kinshasa. The carrier has the latter airport as the base of its flight operations. It was liquidated in 2013.
Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 was a Convair CV-580, that crashed while attempting to land at Bradford Regional Airport in Bradford, Pennsylvania on January 6, 1969. Eleven of the 28 occupants on board were killed.
FlyCongo was an airline based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was formed due to the suspension of Hewa Bora Airways after a series of fatal accidents. The new airline aimed to show a huge improvement in air safety in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After only 6 months in operation the company merged with Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (CAA) in October, 2012. The company slogan was Like Never Before!
On 4 March 2013, a Fokker 50 operated by Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation on a domestic cargo flight from Lodja to Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, crashed in poor weather on approach to Goma Airport. There were nine people on board, of which six were killed. No fatalities were reported on the ground, despite the aircraft crashing into a populated area.
Kongolo Airport is an airport serving the Lualaba River city of Kongolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On 24 November 2019, a Dornier 228-201 twin turboprop aircraft, operated by local carrier Busy Bee Congo, crashed shortly after takeoff from Goma International Airport in a densely populated section of the city, killing 21 of the 22 on board and 6 on the ground. It is the deadliest accident involving the Dornier 228.
Media related to Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation at Wikimedia Commons