AIR TRANSPORT As political uncertainty grips the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Transport Minister Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo talks to Martin Rivers and Vincent Chappard about the need to press on with critical aviation projects in the country. CONGO AIRWAYS FLIES INTO POLITICAL STORM the ine Aan Aap oso Bei a he Presn ol theDontcic Reubicthe Cong (OR hasclangonto power beyond he opaon hs mundalcon Bamba 19016, "open of tins nl Api 2018 hascetclapocd cris tbctuney with Kahn -tothe day isoppoets- tate shld syinchrpe i peng cy Repeats DRC conan ay be revrteviopeitadindtinaee ae Iter ming teat, "Whaler Congo Avast county sree gar spore 9 {onthe aris smd inprente ude Sins ts Ger 2013 lunch acing DRS poor say cord wih S10 rls ctarsup {Spl emt gnemmeand sip om Air Free Coming Ts Klub Mana Ngong Miner fer “TunspatandCormuniatonts Kaba, Acta evo tamed hs Proc erdopebusies panini “Spulling during be 35h seb ofthe Ira Ci Atte Onion (CAO) nested ul he pu chad Cong Alay ISdar=inespecthea pat rene, The fgearcrons cote ocacoat change inBRC raingsandarésand ies sy COmplanecin harrahs throm theorist “care adptn cep opa mind, whey weal te penta i AO ‘momen ont sting pourra Ain heeled. “Wel soppr Congo Ava on hesundardsand tps ‘throughout the country. We are geared tomaking aneohtetetconponesinate” Themniter pad te UN apy fo launching ola proce puling ut pro deb standards, Anew nagenest ean valance ‘Autor benoted hwo sme fc eaters buy nace wh inert ncrme Testa vs citel epeily aot 2000,sshen wea the ICAO audit, Wee ‘compliance evel of about 11% only concemsing ‘ur supervisory capacity fravaton sats.” Ngongo rca, “Inviewof this, corective ation plans have been designed ar implemented. [must amit that itwasdllfcut asthe financial pport wasnot consistent tall. Consequently, we reached a compliance rate of 26%oin 2013, Sowe had progressed, but not vor significantly We, therefor, strived doubly hard. Now weboeliove that weare nearing the 50% compliance rate for thy implementation of practices recommended by ICAO. Weremain convinced tht we will mache {602% complianee rat by theendof 2017." [Asked about the planned sale ofa 20-25% stake intheflagcater to private investors, Neongo disclosed that meetings with financial advisors ad taken place in Geneva inate September. Several paris from “around the world have voiced interest in the privatisation, he confirmed, including thiopéan Ainines, the Addis Ababa based ag-career, which ready has minority stakesin Topo'sAsky Aitinesand Malawian Airlines, ree years, ve received sis eters from Ethiopian Aitins. the minister note Ethiopian Airlines snow a benchmark in Aca, the numberone in Aca, eismanaged with the highest standards and fas been showing profits or many yeas, Bu we w exploring options before beginning proctcl and echnical diseusions.” Headded that Congo Airways was purposefully launched with 100% domestic ‘capital. in order tomake all DRCstakeholders “consciousthat we have to face this challenge as nation’ Last summer, Jerome Maile, the Nag-carsiees deputy chief executive, said plans wer afoot 10 row thefleet to 10narrov-body aera bythe endothe decade upfrom two Airbus A320s and two Bombardier Dash 8400s. Thenew aircraft would facilitate regional ute launches by theaitin, which presently only serves domestic points Parallel discussions about the aquisition of twwowide bodies forkng-haul fights arealso under way ‘Though political discord as provided an unwelcome distraction, Ngongo sid Congo [Airways snow onthe verge of signing an order for“Tivemore planes", Airbusis considered the frontrunner given the exisingmake-up ofthe airline ot DRC’ recent ratiiation ofthe Cape Town Convention an international treaty governing rules for movable property has aboreassured bankers about placingassets inthe country, ‘opening the door ofinance leases. Congo Aways has until now relied ondect acquisitions, which Maile admitted “isnot the most optimal way] toleverageareturnon, equity” Firs, however the Democratic Republi ofthe Congo’ political situation must be peacefully resolved, Failure todoso could jeopardise future sgrowihand prosperity arossallsectors, inluding il aviation 36en te earn toeeey tet eres rerheee rere ee a pete enone peters CONGO CONGO AIRWAYS VOLE DANS UNETEMPETE POLITIQUE Alors que 'incertiude poltiue jrappe la Républine démocratique du Congo (RDO), le ministre des Transports, Justin Kalimba Micana Neongo, pale a Martin Rivers ot & Vincent Chappard cle es nccesité cle _porrsuivre les projets aviation essentels dans le pays. ‘Aumomont ot Acar Aerospaceserasouspreseildevaitéreclat siseph abil le président de RDC sacerochoraioupowoir pris expcationesonmandatle 8 decombre 20. [Laroprtdes lecsonsjasq'onawil201bacré une crsopolique ansle pays avec Kaila insistant-dla consternation dees ‘vera ql devatresteren post jus aujourdu soa ostimpossiblode provi co qui avionra Congo Airway La compagnie aréalise des progres mpressonnans dputsson coment en octobre 2015 sataquanta Gpneux dossier dela sir 8 avec uncaptaldecmanant du gouvernement de 1 lions ‘edallarsetdusotend Ai ronce Cansling, JsinKaumbaMevanaNgongoestThomme ayantmis pratique leplandedevloppemert conc parlesFranais ‘Sexprinamaf occasion dea sme assonbls doTOACY ligne quela woe qu Congo ways oitsur, estlaire- indépendarmentdesturbulencespotiqus Lacompagni avait ts ‘nse sr pied come un catalyseurde changement danslepayet ourrehasserlesnoms suwtowen mater desireté« Nous ‘oplonsunodémarchoqunots obigeametreon euvotstoss ‘recommandatons de OACL Nous idetons ange Rrways abl les nomeselesmeeurespatiquesatraverslepays .Ntreoiecat ‘extqvelledevnne une desmeileurescompagninsen igus.» Leminire lou Fagence des Nations Unies pure lancement un pojethoistiqaesvisanttrela compagnie verslehut» per ‘apperauxnonnesmendiales. Pourrappl n2005 le nvesude conforms enmatirede capaci ‘desarsilnce dare anne eat emiron 1% Des mesures ‘comets fret prises. «Par coséquert nous von atin untaux decanirmite 26% en2013[...Nous ous approcons dutauxde ‘conformed S0' pourlamiza en cor des pratique reconmaneos Incerog@ sr ne participation hauteur de 2-25 Testiseurs ves dan laconagnie Justin alumba Mana Ngoagearév iopan hoes. qu ‘minis dons ASKY ArinesetMlewion ities ‘Entrois a, [sreeusixleted Ethiopian Airis, sou le mnie. «Ebigian Ainge etmcintnentunerterenceon ise, Tenunécounen faq. Maisnousexplronslesoptionsavante conmoncer des discussions praties techniques » ote derig Jere Malte irectourgoneralacat ol compagnio,adclare a can Aerospace quo lait alata ‘licavens monocoulorsd laf dela doconie aver deuxArbis ‘ADet dun Bombaror MD. Ceci fciterlolaionsrionlos Dessiscussions parallels surTacqustion de deuxgrosporeurspour lee volelongesurioresontégalonantoncour- “JusinKaumba Mana Ngongoaausi cir que Congo Aineays ‘satsurlepoit designer une commande pour«cing ans dephis» LarfestionréenteporloRDC dele Convention de Cope Towne slomentrassrélesbanquors Lepaysatoutefesbesoin une ‘vasitonpaciiqu purunecraissanc prea dansteu les 37