en.Wedoany.com Reported - Emirates plans to launch a daily passenger service between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Kinshasa's N'djili International Airport (FIH), operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with the inaugural flight scheduled to depart Dubai on February 3, 2027. The route change information source Aeroroutes has disclosed this plan; flights are not yet open for booking, and specific arrangements may be adjusted.
Emirates is the world's second-largest long-haul carrier, with an all-widebody fleet, ranking first globally in long-haul passenger numbers, available seat inventory, and available seat miles. Its fleet includes the Airbus A380, A350-900, Boeing 777-200LR, and Boeing 777-300ER. Between now and March 2027, the airline will fly from Dubai to 143 airports worldwide, including some suspended destinations. The Kinshasa route marks Emirates' first passenger service to the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the second-largest country in Africa by area. The Kinshasa metropolitan area has a population of approximately 17 million, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Africa. For Dubai and the broader Middle East, N'djili International Airport is the largest unserved African market.
The route will operate daily, with the inaugural flight scheduled to depart DXB on February 3, 2027. Under the February 2027 schedule, the DXB–FIH flight departs at 9:35 AM and arrives at 2:10 PM, with the return departing at 5:50 PM and arriving at 4:25 AM the following day; specific times may be adjusted. The 777-300ER offers substantial cargo capacity, a feature of significant importance for this route; the cabin configuration for the operating aircraft has not yet been announced. Emirates disclosed plans to serve FIH last year.
Booking data shows that in the 12 months through May 2026, 76,000 round-trip passengers traveled between Dubai and Kinshasa, all of whom were local or point-to-point passengers, flying only between these two airports; approximately three-quarters of them connected via Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa. Previously, flydubai operated this route from April 2018 to February 2019, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with stops in Entebbe, Uganda, in both directions. Qatar Airways also operated a route between Doha and FIH from June 2024 to October 2025.
The DRC is a Francophone country and a former Belgian colony, with its largest long-haul markets being Paris (120,000 passengers) and Brussels (109,000 passengers; Air Congo has just launched this route), followed by London (21,000) and Geneva (19,000). Despite the route's previous operational volatility, Emirates will still capture a share of the traffic. It will also carry passengers to and from the broader Middle East, including Beirut (19,000). Traffic between India and China and FIH is equally significant, with the largest markets being Guangzhou (27,000 passengers) and Mumbai (22,000).
With the addition of the Kinshasa route, Emirates' destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa will increase to 19, with up to 26 daily departures from Dubai; combined with flydubai, the two airlines will serve 24 airports in the region.
The route's schedule aligns with Dubai hub peak arrival and departure waves, aiming to enhance connectivity. Booking data indicates that the primary source markets for Sub-Saharan Africa routes are Northeast Asia (mainly China), Western Europe, and South Asia, which are also likely to be the main target markets for the FIH route.
