LAC - Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (Kinshasa N'Djili) is to be succeeded by Congo Airways (8Z, Kinshasa N'Djili), the Congolese government has announced. DR Congo Airline blog says the decision to re-establish a national carrier was taken at a recent cabinet meeting in which Prime Minister Matata Ponyo instructed the Minister of Transport and Communication, Justin Kalumba, and Portfolio Minister, Louise Munga Mesozi, to study the requirements needed to establish the airline. Mr Ponyo further insisted that the airline must acquire what he termed "quality aircraft" with its creation to come before year-end. In 2011, government signed a partnership deal with China's Xian Aircraft Company (Xi'an Yanliang) in which the Chinese firm would supply LAC with a fleet of MA-60s to be used in resuming its domestic operations. The deal never came to fruition. At this time, it is still uncertain as to whether or not this new project is exclusively-Congolese or a joint venture with a foreign carrier. Last year, Kinshasa was reported to be in talks with Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport), Air France (AF, Paris CDG), Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) and Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) over a possible partnership deal. Thus far, however, only Ethiopian has confirmed any formal talks with the Congolese pertaining to the establishment of both a national carrier and the renewal of Kinshasa N'Djili as a Central African hub. Congo Airways had previously operated on and off with wet-leased equipment and was originally set-up by family members of president Joseph Kabila, Congo Airways does not currently operate.