Air Côte d’Ivoire will launch its first-ever European service in September, marking an initial step in the government-owned carrier’s long-haul expansion strategy.
The airline has opened reservations for a new route connecting Abidjan’s Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (ABJ) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Flights will operate daily from Sept. 18 using Airbus A330-900 aircraft.
Air Côte d’Ivoire’s first A330neo completed its maiden flight in early August and is scheduled for delivery on Aug. 29. The 242-seat aircraft will be the carrier’s first widebody and is configured with four cabins—first, business, premium economy and economy.
Financing for the aircraft was backed by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, which provided $76.6 million in loans, as well as the West African Development Bank. A second A330-900 is due to follow as part of the financing package.
Government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said at the time of the financing announcement that the acquisition of the aircraft will enable Air Côte d’Ivoire to launch services to cities like Paris and New York.
The carrier’s new CDG route will intensify competition on the Abidjan–Paris sector, where Air France operates double-daily CDG-ABJ flights with A350-900s and Boeing 777-300ERs. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that Corsair also offers 9X-weekly roundtrips from Paris Orly using A330neos.
Air Côte d’Ivoire will look to leverage its regional West African network—currently spanning 29 nonstop routes, 22 of them international—to feed traffic through Abidjan and support the Paris service.
Founded in 2012, the airline operates a fleet of 12 narrowbody aircraft, including A319s, A320s and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops. The addition of the two A330-900s is expected to enable further route launches to the likes of New York, London, Geneva and Washington.
