ATR 72
- Seats
- ~70 seats
- Range
- ~1,500 km
Role: Domestic Congolese routes and short regional sectors
Efficiency: Best-in-class fuel burn per seat on short sectors
Fleet Strategy
A phased fleet, engineered for the network we're building.
Aircraft selection will evolve as MIG Airlines grows — from regional turboprops on Congolese domestic sectors, to single-aisle jets across Africa, to widebody flagships on long-haul.
Executive Summary
This page presents the MIG Airlines fleet strategy — a phased plan that matches aircraft to mission, starting with regional turboprops for Congolese domestic sectors, adding new-generation single-aisle jets for regional Africa, and introducing widebodies for long-haul. Every aircraft reference is illustrative and reflects the type of aircraft we plan to operate at each stage.
Fleet Timeline
Three phases, one long-term plan
Each phase introduces the right aircraft for the network stage it supports.
Phase 1 · First years of scheduled service
Initial Operations — Regional Aircraft
Turboprop and short-haul aircraft optimized for Congolese domestic routes with challenging airport profiles.
De Havilland Dash 8 Q400
- Seats
- ~78 seats
- Range
- ~2,000 km
Role: Higher-speed regional turboprop operations
Efficiency: Jet-like speeds with turboprop economics
Phase 2 · As regional network scales
Medium Growth — Single-Aisle Jets
New-generation narrow-body jets for regional Africa and short international sectors.
Airbus A220
- Seats
- ~130 seats
- Range
- ~6,300 km
Role: Right-sized regional jet with long-haul capability
Efficiency: 20%+ lower fuel burn than previous generation
Airbus A320neo
- Seats
- ~180 seats
- Range
- ~6,500 km
Role: Regional and short-haul international trunk routes
Efficiency: New-generation engines, ~15% fuel savings
Boeing 737 MAX
- Seats
- ~180 seats
- Range
- ~6,500 km
Role: High-density regional and short international
Efficiency: Modern engines and aerodynamics
Phase 3 · Long-haul international phase
Long-Term Expansion — Widebody Aircraft
Modern widebodies for connecting the DRC to Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Airbus A330neo
- Seats
- ~290 seats
- Range
- ~13,300 km
Role: Efficient long-haul with high commonality
Efficiency: Modern engines and improved aerodynamics
Airbus A350
- Seats
- ~325 seats
- Range
- ~15,000 km
Role: Ultra-long-haul flagship operations
Efficiency: Composite airframe, lowest per-seat CO₂ in class
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Seats
- ~290 seats
- Range
- ~14,000 km
Role: Flexible long-haul with premium cabin experience
Efficiency: Composite airframe, high fuel efficiency
Interactive Growth Roadmap
Fleet evolution across the plan
An indicative view of how the fleet composition scales over time.
Regional turboprops
Phase 1 → ongoing
Single-aisle jets (A220 / A320neo / 737 MAX)
Phase 2 → scale-up
Widebody aircraft (A330neo / A350 / 787)
Phase 3 → long-haul
How We Choose Aircraft
Six selection principles
Every aircraft in the future MIG Airlines fleet must earn its place against six criteria.
Passenger Capacity
Right-sized aircraft matched to demand on each route — no over- or under-supply.
Route Suitability
Aircraft chosen for airport length, elevation, climate and mission profile.
Fuel Efficiency
New-generation engines and airframes to minimize operating cost and emissions.
Sustainability
Fleet plan compatible with SAF adoption and long-term decarbonization.
Fleet Flexibility
Common families where possible for crew, maintenance and spares commonality.
Maintenance Planning
MRO partnerships and progressive local capability development.
Leasing vs Ownership
A balanced capital strategy
MIG Airlines will use a blended approach — operating leases to reduce upfront capital and accelerate fleet introduction, with selective ownership over time as scale and credit profile mature. This preserves flexibility, protects the balance sheet, and enables faster network response.
Operating leases: flexibility, lower upfront capital, easier fleet renewal.
Sale-and-leaseback: capital efficiency on new deliveries.
Selective ownership: long-term economics on strategic aircraft.
MRO partnerships: certified maintenance today, progressive local capability tomorrow.
DisclaimerMIG Airlines does not currently own, lease, or operate any aircraft. Fleet types, timing and quantities are indicative and subject to final selection, financing, certification and market conditions. References to specific aircraft manufacturers or models are illustrative only.
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