Following its seizure at Paris CDG on April 11, ECAIR - Equatorial Congo Airlines (EJ, Brazzaville) says it has now taken repossession of B757-200, HB-JJE (msn 27219). The jet is one of two it wet-leases from PrivatAir (Switzerland) (Geneva).

Disgruntled Congolese businessman François Odzali secured the original seizure order on the grounds that Brazzaville still owed him EUR70 million (USD76.3 million) for the destruction of an industrial complex during the Republic of Congo's civil war in 1997 and for non-payment of electrification work undertaken for the subsequent government. He had claimed the aircraft on the grounds that as the Congolese government is the largest shareholder in the carrier, so ECAIR was also liable for his claims.

However, Congolese media reports state that last week, the airline successfully argued before a court in the Parisian suburb of Bobigny that the seizure was illegal as the aircraft is covered by international conventions and could not therefore be attached.

As such, the ruling paved the way for the aircraft's release on Sunday, April 26 with it now back in Brazzaville where it has since resumed commercial operations.