Air Zaïre airline was also operating Curtiss C-46s and DC-4s equipment, leased from Aerovias Panama Airways to complement the Sabena-leased aircraft. After the Republic of the Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, the Belgian national airline Sabena continued to operate routes in the country. Plans for the formation of a Congolese airline were delayed due to the Congo Crisis; however, in January 1961 a protocol was signed with Sabena for the creation of a limited liability company to be named "Air Congo". On the company was formed, and incorporated on 28 June with Sabena providing technical assistance and personnel. The Congolese
Sabena technics to secure a strategic opening into central and northern Europe markets. 2007: The EADS Sogerma sites in Mérignac and in Tunisia as well as EADS Barfield join Sabena technics Group Sogerma services, originally the MRO services provider at EADS Sogerma and based in Bordeaux, brings to the group a new structure capable of providing further support to both civil and military customers as well as an important design office and an entity dedicated to the training and certification of technicians working on all types of Airbus. Barfield, renamed “Barfield, a Sabena technics company,” based in Miami, Phoenix, Louisville and Bogota,