Air Côte d'Ivoire — the Flag carrier of Ivory Coast , has placed an order for new aircraft with the European Manufacturer Airbus, and the planes are expected to be Airbus A330Neo, as per the visuals revealed by the Company.
Pending any official release , sources say, the Abidjan based carrier has placed an order of Two Airbus A330Neo aircraft and canceled two Airbus A319Neo Planes, which indicates that the carrier is set to expand its Long haul Operations.
At present , the carrier has a fleet of Eight Aircraft , which includes Two Airbus A319 , Three Airbus A320 and Three De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8s for its sub-regional Operations.
Talking about the history , Air Côte d'Ivoire had started its operations on 12 November 2012, after the former flag carrier Air Ivoire went bankrupt in the year 2011.
The airline was set up on 15 May 2012 , as a private-public entity, where Air France was a partner – 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.
After starting Abidjan - Jahannesburg flights , the carrier is now ready to expand its long haul operations , where destinations may include Cape Verde , Morocco and France from the home base Abidjan.
For the latest development of acquiring the new aircraft , the Ivorian Transport Minister Amadou Koné will accompany Air Côte d'Ivoire to the official ceremony scheduled in Toulouse on Tuesday 25 October.
