I don’t mean to be a skeptic, but the evidence presented doesn’t really seem to justify the narrative… though I’d love to be proven wrong, and I welcome other takes.
A strange story of Air Côte d’Ivoire aircraft sabotage
Air Côte d’Ivoire is the national airline of the Ivory Coast. The airline recently took delivery of two Airbus A330-900neos, which fascinate me to no end, given that they feature first class. Currently, the airline flies these planes primarily between Abidjan (ABJ) and Paris (CDG).
Unsurprisingly, the financial performance of these routes has left a lot to be desired up until this point, and one wonders if these flights are more driven by prestige or an intent to earn profits. But that brings us to what’s being presented as something absolutely horrible.
NetAfrique has a story (in French) about a terrible thing that reportedly happened to the airline recently. Let me emphasize that this story is based on that report. Here’s how the story starts:
Shock and outrage have gripped the Ivorian skies. In the night between Thursday and Friday, one of the jewels of the national fleet, an Air Côte d’Ivoire Airbus A330-900neo, was the target of an exceptionally serious act of vandalism on the tarmac of Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport. As the aircraft was preparing to depart for Abidjan, it was found severely damaged, forcing its immediate grounding. This incident comes amid heightened trade tensions regarding traffic rights between France and Côte d’Ivoire, raising legitimate questions about the security of African assets at major European hubs and the true motives of those responsible for this act of vandalism.
The incident, described as an “unbelievable and particularly vicious” act of vandalism, occurred while the aircraft was parked overnight awaiting its return flight. Initial findings rule out any technical negligence: it appears to have been an intentional act that caused significant material damage.
A symbol of sovereignty targeted. The aircraft in question is not just any airliner. This latest-generation Airbus A330-900neo embodies the Ivorian airline’s strategy of moving upmarket and expanding its long-haul network, aiming to make Abidjan a key hub in West Africa. Its grounding represents a loss that far exceeds the financial cost of repairs; it is a blow to the airline’s image of modernity and to the scheduling of flights on the strategic Abidjan-Paris route.
What could the motive here be? Essentially, the Ivory Coast is looking at restricting traffic rights to French carriers on routes between the Ivory Coast and France. That seems to be a protectionist strategy — Air France and Corsair are continuing to do well in the market, while Air Côte d’Ivoire seems to be losing money. So the country, which also owns the airline, clearly thinks the solution is to restrict service from foreign flights to the country.
So the argument is that “this sabotage is an attempt to hinder the national airline’s momentum.” The story claims that the airline has filed complaints with French authorities. But worry not, folks. General Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the Chairman of Air Côte d’Ivoire, made it clear that the company doesn’t intend to be intimated.
I’m struggling to make sense of these accusations
It goes without saying that any sort of vandalism or sabotage of an aircraft is completely unacceptable, and those responsible for it should be held accountable for what they’ve done. There’s only one slight problem. Well, maybe two problems. Or three. Or maybe four.
First, the claim is that the horribly vandalized A330neo was “immediately grounded,” and that “its grounding represents a loss that far exceeds the financial cost of repairs.” But that’s simply not true, as both Air Côte d’Ivoire A330neos continue to fly, and weren’t grounded on the referenced days. The aircraft in question here — TU-TRH — flew exactly as scheduled on March 26 and March 27. That’s kind of an important detail, no?
Okay, but surely there’s evidence of the awful vandalism, right? Don’t worry, they brought the receipts… and those consist of a single picture of a torn seat. That’s it. Just one. Now, maybe there was more damage, but if so, I haven’t been able to find any picturess.
I’m not saying the claims aren’t true, but let’s think about this for a second. We are to believe that someone with French interests broke into the plane overnight, started cutting up seats (or, well, a single seat), as an act of revenge against the possibility that the Ivory Coast may restrict traffic rights to French airlines? And that’s supposed to make sense? I also can’t help but take note of this:
Far from weakening the company, this sad episode could paradoxically become the catalyst for increased mobilization for Ivorian air sovereignty and a more equitable sharing of the skies between the two nations.
Just objectively, doesn’t it seem more likely that the airline would fake this in order to be able to make claims of vandalism and sabotage in order to restrict traffic rights?
I wasn’t there, so I can’t say anything with certainty. I will say that the evidence presented is anything but convincing, and the dramatized narrative doesn’t do much to add credibility to the story.
Bottom line
Media in the Ivory Coast reports how an Air Côte d’Ivoire Airbus A330-900neo was vandalized and sabotaged while parked overnight at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The report suggests that perhaps the Ivory Coast trying to restrict the traffic rights of French airlines might have caused them to take revenge in this way.
The evidence presented shows a single torn seat, the report contains inaccuracies (like the plane being grounded), and the entire narrative just seems highly questionable.
What do you make of these claims of “shock and outrage” having “gripped the Ivorian skies?”
