Part 2/10:
The flight crew embarked on their journey amidst the backdrop of ongoing turbulence—both politically, due to unrest in parts of the Republic of Congo, and the global convenience of traveling during a pandemic. Despite these challenges, the weather conditions for the flight looked promising. After layover discussions, the crew, comprising three highly experienced pilots, settled on a fuel load of 45.5 tons for their Airbus A330 aircraft, which was prepared to carry just 136 passengers on this holiday flight.