Air Congo Unveils Direct Flights Between Kinshasa and Entebbe Starting March 22

Air Congo has announced the launch of direct flights between Kinshasa and Entebbe as part of a broader sub-regional expansion set to begin on March 22, 2026, connecting the Democratic Republic of Congo to several African capitals for the first time under its own flag carrier.

The Kinshasa to Entebbe route is among the first two international services Air Congo will operate, alongside a Kinshasa to Johannesburg service, both launching on the same date. The airline will then add flights to Douala and Cotonou from March 28, with Dar es Salaam joining the network from April 4, 2026.

According to flight schedule data, the Kinshasa to Entebbe service will operate three times weekly on a Boeing 737-800, routing through Kisangani. The flight departs Kinshasa at 0700hrs, stops in Kisangani, and arrives in Entebbe at 1340hrs. The return departs Entebbe at 1500hrs and lands back in Kinshasa at 1720hrs.

Air Congo is a joint venture between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which holds 51 percent of shares, and Ethiopian Airlines, which holds the remaining 49 percent. The airline initially operated two Boeing 737-800 aircraft on domestic routes serving cities including Lubumbashi, Goma, Kisangani, Kolwezi, Kalemie, and Mbuji-Mayi. A third aircraft was added to the fleet on February 1, 2026, ahead of the regional expansion. The airline has also announced plans to add four more Boeing 737-800s within the next year, with two additional aircraft to follow after that.

The carrier has also announced its intention to launch flights to Paris from June 1, 2026, with plans for future long-haul services to Brussels and Dubai also under consideration.

Air Congo reported nearly USD 40 million in revenue from its domestic operations before the expansion.

The new Kinshasa to Entebbe route marks the first time the DRC’s national airline has served Uganda directly, adding a new air corridor between Central Africa and East Africa.

What It Means for Uganda

The route carries particular significance for Uganda, whose exports to the DRC have already crossed the one billion dollar mark. Kinshasa is a city of approximately 20 million people, making it one of the largest urban markets on the African continent, and a direct air link opens a faster and more reliable channel for Ugandan goods to reach it.

Among the products that stand to benefit are milk, coffee, fish, fruits, vegetables, and bananas, agricultural exports that Uganda already moves into the DRC but largely through road networks that can be slow and costly. Air freight on a regular scheduled route between Entebbe and Kinshasa could reduce spoilage for perishable goods and open doors to higher-value market segments within the Congolese capital.

For Ugandan traders and exporters, the three-times-weekly service represents a direct commercial bridge to a market that has long been a key destination for goods crossing the western border.