BlueSky Airlines (DR Congo) (Kinshasa N'Djili) has successfully obtained a court order forcing the operator of Kinshasa N'Djili airport, Régie des Voies Aériennes de la République Démocratique du Congo (RVA), to allow it to proceed with its inaugural commercial operations.

BlueSky had planned to begin scheduled domestic flights on March 22 only for the RVA to block the flight at the last moment. The RVA had argued that as BlueSky's owner and founder, Stavros Papaioannou, was also a 25% shareholder in the now defunct HBA - Hewa Bora Airways (Kinshasa N'Djili), that he was liable for the USD6,966,823.80 still owed by HBA in unpaid service charges.

However, a Court of Appeal in Kinshasa earlier this week ruled the RVA's move to be "illegal and irregular" adding that it would be liable for damages in the region of USD30,000 per day should it not comply with the directive.

The Congolese start-up plans to use its sole MD-83, ex-Ryan International Airlines machine 9Q-CSZ (msn 53093), to serve Gemena, Goma, Kananga, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, and Mbuji Mayi. It also has plans to serve Johannesburg O.R. Tambo regionally.