Congo Airways was created on 15 August 2014 at the government’s instigation, and made its first flight on 20 October 2015 using two Airbus A320 aircraft acquired from Alitalia.[4] The company initially served Congolese destinations from its base at N’djili Airport in Kinshasa, and planned to increase its fleet and serve regional and international markets.[5][6] Air France Consulting provided technical assistance to the airline.[5] One of the airline’s aircraft was impounded in Dublin for a few weeks in September 2015 where it was to be painted.[7]
On 10 December 2019, Congo Airways signed a $194.4 million deal to acquire two E175 jets from Embraer. The jets were expected to be delivered in Q4 2020.[8] On 26 May 2020, Congo Airways have converted the firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two. The jets are expected to be delivered in Q2 2022.[9] In September 2021, the airline also executed a wet lease of two Embraer 190 aircraft for two years from