Kinshasa, August 6th, 2025 (CPA). – 189 air traffic controller trainees in the Democratic Republic of Congo have attended to the launching of a basic training session on Wednesday at Ndjili International Airport in Kinshasa, during a ceremony presided over by the Director General of the Air Traffic Control Authority (RVA).
« In order to consolidate the vision of the Head of State, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, regarding the alignment of our country with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as well as job creation, the Air Traffic Control Authority (RVA SA) has today launched a new basic training session for 189 air traffic controllers (ATCs), » has said Mr Léonard Ngoma, Director General of the RVA. According to him, this training is part of an in-depth review aimed at identifying sustainable solutions that will promote the company’s long-term viability by ensuring that it remains in compliance with international civil aviation standards.
‘RVA is currently facing a problem with the ageing of its aviation personnel. Statistics show that by 2030, more than 70% of current ATC managers and staff will have retired,’ he has pointed out. To remedy this situation, the RVA considers it imperative to recruit and train controllers to replace former employees. It is in this context that the company has launched a capacity-building project that will lead to the formation of a new team that will guarantee the future professional legacy, he supported. Given the scale of the challenges to be met and the enormous sacrifices to be made, the outcome of this session will enable the RVA to equip its ATC staff with skills that are in line with international standards for the smooth operation of the country’s airports. On this occasion, Mr Ngoma urged the controllers in training to seize this exceptional opportunity to join the ranks of future air traffic controllers in DRC. He called on them to be consistent, disciplined and courageous in this learning process. He also called on supervisors, facilitators, instructors and trainers to show initiative and professional awareness, and to apply the fundamental principles necessary for quality training.
He pledged to provide the necessary resources to ensure the smooth running of this training.
Rigour, discipline and moral strength required
On this occasion, the commander of N’djili International Airport, Vicky Lundula, urged the trainees to show rigour, discipline and moral and professional solidarity. ‘We ask you, students, in this demanding training programme, to show rigour, discipline and moral and professional integrity, because the profession you have chosen does not allow for any mistakes; there are no excuses or justifications, even in the event of technical failure. It is a highly responsible role in which every decision can affect human lives,’ he confided. Launched in the presence of Deputy Director General Louis-Blaise Londole and several RVA administrators, the 2025-2027 ATC training programme comes eight years after the 2017 programme, it was noted.