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Air Côte d'Ivoire

Air Côte d'Ivoire is the flag carrier of Ivory Coast, based in Abidjan. The company succeeded the country's former flag carrier Air Ivoire, which went bankrupt in 2011. It started operations on 12 November 2012.

History

The airline was set up on 15 May 2012, as a private-public entity, partially owned by Air France – which intended to make Port Bouet Airport a regional hub – and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). Air Côte d'Ivoire had an initial capital of CFAF2.5 billion, majority-owned by the government of Ivory Coast (65%), with the balance held by Air France Finance (20%) and Aérienne de Participation-Côte d'Ivoire (15%), an airline holding company of AKFED. The Ivory Coast had had no national carriers since the collapse of Air Ivoire in March 2011.

The airline will have "technical, commercial and operational synergies" with Air Mali and Air Burkina, two other airlines associated with the AKFED.

As of November 2012, it was planned for the new company to have 13 flight captains, 12 first officers and 37 cabin crew. The company projects to have a passenger capacity of 330,000 per year. It carried 253,000 passengers during 2013.

Corporate affairs

Ownership

As of April 2017, the parent entities of the shareholders are:

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development was a 15% shareholder until 2013, when it was reported that it would withdraw from Air Côte d'Ivoire. The shareholding was acquired by Golden Road, a consortium of private Ivorian investors,[3] with shareholdings changing following subsequent fundraising.

Business trends

Air Côte d'Ivoire does not appear to publish annual accounts, but some figures have been made available via press reports, interviews and other publications (figures shown for years ending 31 December):

Key people

As of November 2025, Air Côte d'Ivoire CEO is Laurent Loukou.

Destinations

As of September 2012, the airline had initial plans to operate scheduled services from its hub in Abidjan on a network covering nine international destinations in West and East Africa, although some of them would be flown by sister companies Air Burkina and Air Mali. Cities served with Air Côte d'Ivoire's own aircraft were expected to include Accra, Conakry, Cotonou and Dakar. Operations commenced on November 12, 2012, with the carrier's maiden flight linking Abidjan with Dakar.

As of July 2024, the company's route map indicate that it serves the following destinations:[13]

Codeshare and interline agreements

Air Côte d'Ivoire has codeshare and interline agreements with the following airlines:

Codeshare

Interline

Fleet

Current fleet

As of September 2025, Air Côte d'Ivoire operates the following aircraft:[26][27]

Fleet strategy

The carrier took delivery of its first aircraft, an ex-Air France Airbus A319 manufactured in 2004, in October 2012 on lease from Macquarie AirFinance. During the 2013 Dubai Air Show, it was announced the carrier placed a conditional order for up to four Bombardier Q400s. Worth US$69 million, a firm order was announced in December 2013. African Export-Import Bank will finance 95% of the acquisition. The carrier plans to use one of these aircraft to replace the E170 on regional services. The first Dash 8-Q400 was delivered in late 2014.[32] An additional order for two more aircraft of the type was placed in April 2015.

An order comprising two Airbus A320neos and two Airbus A320ceos that was placed in April 2016 was boosted in July the same year when an additional A320neo was ordered. Air Côte d'Ivoire took delivery of their first Airbus A330-900 in early September 2025.[33] In November 2025, Air Côte d'Ivoire placed an order for four Embraer 175s with options for eight more aircraft of the type, to expand domestic and regional routes.[30]

Historical fleet

The airline has operated the following aircraft:

See also

External links

References

  1. Air Cote d'Ivoire – Home frequentflyer.aero, retrieved 26 June 2015^
  2. En 2020, Air Côte d'Ivoire a perdu près de 460 000 passagers, le chiffre d'affaires en chute de 42%^
  3. Local Ivorian investors acquire AKFED's 15% stake in Air Côte d'Ivoire ch-aviation, 5 December 2013^
  4. Le Mag January/February 2015 Air Côte d’Ivoire, retrieved 12 February 2015^
  5. Nouvelle augmentation de capital pour Air Côte d'Ivoire (New capital increase for Air Côte d'Ivoire) Jeune Afrique, 29 January 2016, retrieved 4 November 2017^
  6. Aérien : entre Air Côte d'Ivoire et Asky Airlines, match de haut vol - JeuneAfrique.com 18 March 2016^
  7. Air Cote d'Ivoire turnover up 34 percent; plans to raise capital Reuters, 30 January 2016, retrieved 4 November 2017^
  8. " Nous serons rentables à partir de 2018 " – René Décurey, Directeur général d'Air Côte d'Ivoire ("We will be profitable from 2018" – René Décurey, General Manager of Air Côte d'Ivoire) Jeune Afrique, 27 July 2017, retrieved 4 November 2017^
  9. Interview with René Decurey, General Manager of Air Côte d'Ivoire Marcopolis, 13 December 2016, retrieved 4 November 2017^
  10. Guinée : Air Côte-D'Ivoire inaugure son nouveau siège à Conakry! (Guinea: Air Côte-D'Ivoire inaugurates its new base in Conakry!) Africaguinee.com, 27 April 2017, retrieved 5 November 2017^
  11. Ivorian govt approves $24mln in aid for national airline Ecofin Agency, 29 June 2020, retrieved 18 August 2020^
  12. En 2020, Air Cote d'Ivoire a perdu pres de 460 000 passagers NewsAero, 20 February 2021^
  13. Réseau régional Air Côte d'Ivoire, retrieved 29 July 2024^
  14. Réseau Sous-régional Air Côte d'Ivoire^
  15. Air Côte d'Ivoire W13 Operation Changes as of 04NOV13 Airline Route, 4 November 2013^
  16. https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/159629-air-cote-divoire-launches-first-long-haul-route-to-paris^
  17. Air Côte d'Ivoire English » Domestic network www.aircotedivoire.com, retrieved 31 May 2017^
  18. Air Cote d'Ivoire Adds New Nigeria Service from Feb 2016 Routesonline, 2017, retrieved 31 May 2017^
  19. Air Côte d'Ivoire English Aircotedivoire.com, retrieved 27 November 2018^
  20. Ethiopian Airlines and Air Côte d'Ivoire Enter Codeshare Agreement on Routes between West Africa and the USA: Addis Ababa, May 9, 2018^
  21. All Partner Airlines^
  22. Partner Airlines | Air Burkina^
  23. Air Côte d'Ivoire aims to serve Paris, Beirut, Washington and London 15 January 2024^
  24. Emirates' travel partners | Emirates United States^
  25. Partner Carriers | Hahn Air Lines^
  26. Global Airline Guide 2025 - Air Côte d'Ivoire Airliner World, September 2025^
  27. Air Côte d'Ivoire English » Our air fleet Aircotedivoire.com, retrieved 27 November 2018^
  28. Air Côte d'Ivoire Orders Airbus A330-900neo aircotedivoire.com, 22 August 2025^
  29. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2879253602326718&id=1532250620360363^
  30. Air Côte d'Ivoire Orders Four Embraer E175s to Boost Regional Connectivity embraer.com, 17 November 2025^
  31. Embraer recebe pedidos de aviões de aéreas da Costa do Marfim e da Suíça Folha de S.Paulo, 17 November 2025^
  32. First Q400 for Air Cote d'Ivoire Airliner World, December 2014^
  33. Air Côte d'Ivoire takes delivery of its first A330neo Airbus, 4 September 2025^
  34. Notre Flotte Air Côte d’Ivoire^
  35. Baudelaire Mieu. Aga Khan Fund to Pull Out of Ivory Coast Airline in Capital Move Bloomberg Businessweek, 3 June 2013^
  36. Air Cote d'Ivoire agrees $114 mln aircraft loan from Afreximbank Reuters, 10 January 2014^
  37. Linda Blachly. Air Cote d'Ivoire orders two more Bombardier Q400s Air Transport World, 13 April 2015^
  38. Air Cote d'Ivoire To Launch With Two Airbuses Airwise News, 9 February 2012, retrieved 3 December 2012^
  39. Alan Dron. Air Cote d'Ivoire firms Bombardier Q400 order Air Transport World, 18 December 2013^
  40. Air Côte d'Ivoire Firms Bombardier Q400 Order Aviation Today, 19 December 2013^
  41. Olivier Bonnassies. Air Côte d'Ivoire leases A319 from Macquarie AirFinance Flightglobal, 11 October 2012^
  42. Air Côte d'Ivoire ne ressemblera pas à Air Ivoire Air Journal, 20 May 2012, retrieved 3 December 2012^
  43. Air Côte d'Ivoire plans Oct-2012 launch with international network of nine cities Centre for Aviation, 25 September 2012^
  44. Victoria Moores. Air Cote d'Ivoire plots growth course Air Transport World, 25 November 2013^
  45. Gomon Edmond. Air Côte d'Ivoire/Les premiers vols régionaux en juillet 2012 Abidjan.net, 18 May 2012, retrieved 16 January 2013^
  46. François Duclos. Air Côte d'Ivoire: 253 000 passagers en 2013 Air Journal, 15 January 2014^
  47. Cathy Buyck. Air France revisits plans for Ivory Coast airline partnership Air Transport World, 29 February 2012^
  48. Arik Air, Air Cote d'Ivoire explore partnership opportunities Centre for Aviation, 14 January 2013, retrieved 16 January 2013^
  49. Bombardier and Air Côte d'Ivoire Reach Firm Purchase Agreement with Options for up to Four Q400 NextGen Aircraft Bombardier Aerospace, 18 December 2013^
  50. Bombardier and Air Côte d'Ivoire Sign Agreement for up to Four Q400 NextGen Aircraft Bombardier Aerospace, 18 November 2013^
  51. Ellis Taylor. DUBAI: Air Cote D'Ivoire conditionally orders two Q400s Flightglobal, 18 November 2013^
  52. Alan Dron. Embraer Secures Air Cote d'Ivoire, Helvetic Orders At Dubai Airshow Aviation Week, 17 November 2025^
  53. Linda Blachly. Ivory Coast carrier adds an A320neo Air Transport World, 11 July 2016^
  54. Alan Dron. Ivory Coast carrier orders two Airbus A320ceos, two A320neos Air Transport World, 28 April 2016^
  55. Ivory Coast's National Carrier Takes Off Airwise News, 12 November 2012, retrieved 2 December 2012^
  56. Anne Paylor. New airline in Ivory Coast to launch in July Air Transport World, 21 July 2012, retrieved 3 December 2012^
  57. Kurt Hofmann. New Ivory Coast Air Cote d'Ivoire set to launch Air Transport World, 5 November 2012, retrieved 3 December 2012^
  58. Martin Rivers. New Ivory Coast flag carrier set for take-off Flightglobal, 22 May 2012^
  59. New national Air Côte d'Ivoire plans domestic and international route launches this year Centre for Aviation, 21 May 2012, retrieved 3 December 2012^
  60. Premiers vols commerciaux pour Air Côte d'Ivoire Air Journal, 14 November 2012, retrieved 2 December 2012^
  61. The airline Air Côte d'Ivoire becomes reality Air France, 16 May 2012^
  62. Alan Dron. West Africa's Air Cote d'Ivoire gets connected Air Transport World, 6 February 2017^