Trans Air Cargo Service
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| Founded | 1992; 33 years ago (as Transair Cargo), 2004; 21 years ago (as Trans Air Cargo Service) | ||||||
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| Hubs | N'djili Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 1 | ||||||
| Destinations | 16 | ||||||
| Website | http://www.transair-cargo.com/ | ||||||
Trans Air Cargo Service is a Congolese cargo airline headquartered in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The airline operates one Douglas DC-8 throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo to deliver freight.[1] It is one of the last two remaining operators of the DC-8, however, its only aircraft, 9S-AJO, was damaged in an accident on 8 September 2026 and has been grounded, and possibly will be written off.[2]Like all other airlines in Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is currently banned from flying into the European Union.[3]
History
[edit]Katale Aero Transport was the predecessor of Trans Air Cargo, founded in 1978 by Domaine de Katale.[4] Transair Cargo was founded in 1992 by Jacques "Kiki" Lemaire. The airline ceased operations in 1998 due to a civil war and was renamed TAC Air Services, causing it to move to Rand in South Africa.[5] Max Lemaire moved the airline back to the DRC in 2004 and renamed it to Trans Air Cargo Service.[5] In 2026, a Douglas DC-8-60 was retired from the fleet.[6]
Fleet
[edit]Current fleet
[edit]As of July 2026[update], Trans Air Cargo Service operates the following aircraft, however the sole plane, 9S-AJO, was damaged in an accident on 8 September 2026 and is possibly going to be written off.[2][7]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas DC-8-73F | 1 | — | Currently, this aircraft is damaged.[8] |
Former fleet
[edit]Source:[citation needed]
- 6x Douglas DC-8
- 3x Douglas DC-6
- 3x Douglas DC-4
- 2x Sud Aviation Caravelle
- 2x Boeing 707
- 2x Bristol Britannia
- 1x Vickers Viscount
- 1x Boeing 737-200
- 1x Antonov An-26
- 1x Antonov An-32
- 1x Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I
- 1x Nord 262
- 1x Boeing 727
As Katale Aerotransport
[edit]Source:[citation needed]
- 5x Bristol Britannia
- 1x Boeing 707
- 1x Canadair CL-44
Destinations
[edit]Trans Air Cargo Service operates services to Bukavu, Bumba, Gbadolite, Gemena, Goma, Kamina, Kananga, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lisala, Lodja, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Mayi and Tshikapa.[9]
Accidents
[edit]In 1981 a DC 4 crashed beyond repair in Lisala.[10]
On March 1, 1990, a 707-320 registered as 9Q-CVG crashed in Goma 38 meters short of the runway. The crew failed to realize that they were short of the runway and upon impact the right gear was torn off as the aircraft slid for 300 before coming to a rest with no fatalities. The aircraft had Manufacturer's Serial Number 19162, and was built in 1966.[11]
On August 8, 2004, the Caravelle crashed on landing at Gisenyi Airport's 1000 metre long runway. The aircraft was charted by the Celtel company to transport telecommunications equipment to Goma but diverted. The aircraft was built in 1968 and had MSN 251. However, Waltair and a Mr. K. Lemaire may also have owned the Caravelle.[12]
On September 8, 2026 the Douglas DC-8-73F in service with the airline, suffered a runway excursion damaging the aircraft, currently it is suspected to be a write off.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ https://www.tacscargo.com
- 1 2 3 "DC-8 Freighter Crashes Off Runway at Kinshasa Airport - Air Cargo Week". 2026-09-08. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ "The EU Air Safety List - Mobility and Transport - European Commission". transport.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- ↑ "Katale Aero Transport".
- 1 2 "Transair Cargo".
- ↑ "DRC's Trans Air Cargo Service retires DC-8-62F". ch-aviation. Archived from the original on 2025-09-19. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2026 - Trans Air Cargo Service". Airliner World. October 2026. p. 10.
- ↑ Pope, Stephen (2026-09-08). "Rare DC-8 freighter leaves runway in Kinshasa". Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- ↑ https://www.tacscargo.com
- ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Douglas C-54A-15-DC (DC-4) 9Q-CAN, unk. date 1981". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Katale Aero Transport | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 11R 3D-KIK, Saturday 28 August 2004". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2026-02-25.