Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) (English: Congolese Airlines) was the flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was established in 1997 to succeed the folded Air Zaïre. Halting operations in 1999, it was reactivated for a short period in 2002, only to fold operations permanently in 2003.
History
The airline was set up in 1997, and started operations the same year.[1] It was a reorganisation of Air Zaïre.[2]
In 1999, a contract with the Belgian carrier City Bird to wet-lease a Boeing 767-300ER was signed.[3] Under this agreement, the airline would serve the Kinshasa–Brussels route, with the Belgian carrier codesharing the service.[4] Although the agreement came into being as of April 1999[update] for a five-year period, it was scrapped in November the same year.[5]
Destinations
Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) served the following destinations all through its history:[1]
There was a short-lived agreement between City Bird and LAC to codeshare the Kinshasa–Brussels route, operated by LAC but with City Bird aircraft.[6][7] Since late 2000, LAC codeshared the Harare–Lubumbashi–Kinshasa route, actually operated by Air Zimbabwe; the same agreement enabled Air Zimbabwe to place its code on the Kinshasa–Brussels service, operated by LAC.[8]
10 October 1998: A Boeing 727-30, registration 9Q-CSG, that was due to operate a non-scheduled domestic Kindu–Kinshasa passenger service, was shot down by rebel forces near Kindu shortly after takeoff, killing all 41 occupants on board.[10]
^"Routes". Flightglobal. Flight International. 31 March 1999. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Brussels-based Société Générale de Gestion et de Transport (SIGT) has been appointed general sales agent for cargo by Congo airline Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) to help redevelop activities between Europe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Government owned LAC, which succeeds former Air Zaire that went bankrupt, has contracted Brussels-based long-haul low-cost airline City Bird to provide a Boeing 767-300ER on wet-lease, initially to begin scheduled services between Kinshasa and Europe (Brussels). City Bird will also operate freight services using an Airbus A300-600F.
^"Routes". Flightglobal. Airline Business. 1 April 1999. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. City Bird in Kinshasa - City Bird has inked a five-year codesharing agreement with Lignes Aeriennes Congolaises between Europe and Kinshasa using LAC flight codes but Citybird aircraft.
^"Routes". Flightglobal. Flight International. 1 December 1999. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. City Bird has ceased operations between Kinshasa and Brussels on behalf of Lignes Aériennes Congolaises. The Belgian airline says the political climate in the Democratic Republic of Congo makes "it impossible" to invest there.
^"Routes". Flightglobal. Flight International. 19 December 2000. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Air Zimbabwe is operating a Boeing 767 under a codesharing agreement with Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) on the Harare-Lubumbashi-Kinshasa route. The flight then continues with an LAC flight number to Paris and Brussels.
