Congo Airways will soon have two variants of E2s in its fleet. The Kinshasa-based flag carrier has exercised options for two E195-E2s from a December 2019 contract for new E-Jets. The airline previously ordered two E190-E2s. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2022 with Embraer and Congo Airways continuing to review the potential to anticipate the beginning of the deliveries.
The 120-seat E195-E2s will have 12 Business and 108 Economy class seats. The configuration has 25% more capacity than the 96-seat E190-E2s with 12 Business and 84 Economy class seats. A common cockpit across all E2s will give Congo Airways tremendous operating flexibility. Pilots can transition seamlessly between the larger and smaller E2s.
The airline’s CEO, Desire Balazire Bantu, says he intends to deploy the E2s to high-demand destinations such as Abidjan, Cotonou, Johannesburg and Cape Town. “We see an opportunity in our market and the crisis we are all facing for Congo Airways to emerge stronger.” With two E-Jet models, “we will have the flexibility and the right-sized, most efficient aircraft … as the market returns.”
