Air Congo has taken delivery of a Boeing 787-9 leased from MIAT Mongolian Airlines, adding 292 seats to its passenger capacity. Arranged by aviation services group Chapman Freeborn, the aircraft arrived at N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa on 27 October and was scheduled to enter service on 31 October. Its cabin is configured with 30 business-class seats, 36 in premium economy and 226 in economy.
The lease gives Air Congo a three-class widebody cabin. Chapman Freeborn’s involvement covered matching the carrier’s operational and capacity requirements with a leasing partner and coordinating the negotiations and delivery. The aircraft’s arrival was attended by Jean-Pierre Bemba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s deputy prime minister responsible for transport, as well as Air Congo chairperson Jeanne Madeleine Mpemba Tujibikile and director general Mesfin Biru.
The arrangement’s duration and financial terms have not been disclosed. The available details also do not specify the routes on which the 787-9 will operate, its planned frequency or whether the lease includes crew and other operational services.