ECair flight EJ211, scheduled to operate from Brazzaville to Yaounde via Douala on Dec. 19, 2025, was cancelled. The flight was due to depart at 11:25 a.m. and arrive at 2:55 p.m.
Some passengers only learned of the cancellation upon arrival at Maya-Maya International Airport. ECair did not appear on the airport’s departure boards, and its check-in counters were deserted. No airline staff were present and no information was provided.
“The airline provided no information,” a travel agency told one of its clients. In fact, ECair has been inactive since Nov. 12. Despite being aware of the situation, some customers said they contacted the company but received no response.
The only option offered by agencies selling ECair tickets was to rebook travel for a later date, once the airline resumes operations. In the meantime, passengers were forced to turn to other carriers at significantly higher fares during the peak end-of-year travel period to reach Yaounde and Douala.
After an eight-year hiatus, ECair resumed operations in May 2024, initially on domestic routes linking Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Ollombo. Services were later gradually extended to several Central African capitals, including Yaounde, Douala and Libreville.
These routes are operated with a single Boeing 737-700. The aircraft is frequently grounded due to technical issues, resulting in repeated service suspensions.
“This is the umpteenth shutdown since operations resumed. The problem is that the airline does not maintain a stock of spare parts. As a result, even minor technical issues can ground its only aircraft for several weeks,” a source close to ECair said.
Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECair) was founded in 2011 at the initiative of the Congolese government, with the aim of connecting Brazzaville to regional and international destinations. The airline relied on technical partners including Lufthansa Consulting, CoEM and PrivatAir.
Following a period of rapid expansion and the launch of several international routes, ECair suspended operations in 2016 due to financial difficulties. Observers say the 2024 relaunch remains fragile, as illustrated by recurring flight disruptions and persistent operational challenges.
Aboudi Ottou
