Air Côte d’Ivoire to Launch Abidjan–Paris Route on October 1
Air Côte d’Ivoire will inaugurate its first intercontinental route linking Abidjan to Paris on October 1, 2025, marking a major milestone in the airline’s expansion strategy. The service will operate six times per week initially, before increasing to daily flights from November 15.
The new long-haul service will be operated with two brand-new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, the first of which landed in Abidjan on Thursday to a ceremonial welcome attended by ministers and First Lady Dominique Ouattara.
This marks the company’s first route outside Africa, positioning Air Côte d’Ivoire to compete directly with Air France and Corsair on one of the busiest air corridors in francophone Africa. Until now, only Air Sénégal and RwandAir have offered such services among francophone sub-Saharan carriers.
“Development cannot happen without mobility. Out of 54 African countries, only six have national carriers capable of flying outside the continent,” said Laurent Loukou, CEO of Air Côte d’Ivoire, at the unveiling ceremony.
The airline, which currently serves 21 regional destinations and five domestic cities, says its ambition is to become the main gateway from West and Central Africa to the rest of the world. Transport Minister Amadou Koné confirmed the company’s financial recovery, noting that the Paris line is expected to be profitable within four to five years.
Air Côte d’Ivoire also plans to add three weekly flights to Beirut from October, followed by new routes to Geneva, London, and the United States within the next five years.
Founded in 2012 to replace the defunct Air Ivoire, the company remains majority-owned by the Ivorian state, with Air France holding an 11% stake.