In tragic news today, a plane crash in eastern Congo left five dead. Details on the incident are still emerging, but sources say the aircraft belonged to the local carrier Malu Aviation. This is the second major air accident in as many years in the country.

The incident

According to AP, an aircraft crashed in the eastern province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, 23rd December. The reports have been confirmed by the province's transport minister, who said all five onboard perished after a flight from Goma to Shabunda.

The three passengers and two crew were flying on an aircraft belonging to Malu Aviation. The carrier operates two Short 360s out of Goma and one Gulfstream G159 from the capital of Kinshasa. The airline also recently added a BAe Jetstream 41 to its fleet. The aircraft flying the route was likely a Short 360.

Short 360
The SD360 is a turboprop passenger aircraft that was built by Northern Irish planemaker Short Brother. Photo: Cory W via Wikimedia Commons

In a statement, Shabunda Administrator Dieudonne Kashombanya said,

"We have just launched investigations to determine the (cause) of this crash. We sympathize with all the families of the people killed.”

Small airline

Malu Aviation lists itself as a charter and cargo airline operating across Congo. The SD360s it operates is between 30 and 40 years old, with Malu being one of the last global operators of the regional jet. The plane is configured to carry 30 passengers or 3,500kgs of cargo. Thursday's flight had a light load of just three passengers.

Despite attempts to operate safely, aviation in Congo has been marred with safety issues. This is particularly pressing since road transport in the country can be challenging due to a lack of infrastructure and political instability. This means aviation plays a vital role in moving goods and passengers.

Malu Aviation is one of nearly a dozen airlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: Malu Aviation

In 2019, a Dornier 228 belonging to Busy Bee Congo crashed into the densely populated city of Goma, killing 20 passengers on the plane and six on the ground. While one passenger survived, the incident underscored the safety failures in the country's aviation landscape.

Due to this, Congolese airlines are prohibited from flying to European Union under EASA's flight ban. For now, there is little sign this will be reversed in the coming years.

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Growing space

Despite safety concerns, Congo's aviation space is rapidly growing. In October, the central African country's Ministry of Transport announced that a new airline called Air Congo would be set up. The carrier is backed by Ethiopian Airlines with a 49% stake, and the giant will provide seven aircraft to the venture.

Air Congo will join the existing flag carrier Congo Airways, which operates four aircraft and will add four more Embraer E2s to its fleet. The country is also home to several smaller regional players and charter airlines. For now, the aviation space in DRC is growing rapidly, and creating robust safety oversight will be a top priority for the government.