Air Côte d’Ivoire is set to receive its first Airbus A330-900neo, following the aircraft’s successful maiden test flight on August 4, 2025.
According to aerotime, in a video posted to its LinkedIn account on August 11, 2025, the African carrier showed the painting process of its future flagship aircraft as well as some footage of the aircraft taking off from Airbus’ facilities at Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS), France.
This first three-hour long flight took the aircraft, still with its provisional registration F-WWYE, over the Bay of Biscay before returning to Toulouse, where it is being outfitted ahead of its delivery.
This aircraft is the first of two ordered by the carrier in 2022. The aircraft was originally expected to enter service in 2024, but its delivery has since suffered several delays.
It will be fitted with the Airbus Airspace cabin divided into four classes for a total of 242 passengers, although the exact distribution has not yet been made public.
Air Côte D’Ivoire aims to deploy the new A330-900neo on the key route between Abidjan’s Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (ABJ) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
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However, in the past, Air Cote d’Ivoire has expressed its interest in expanding its long-haul network beyond the French market. Nonstop services from Abidjan to New York (JFK), Brussels (BRU), and London (LHR) as well as potential other cities, are also on the cards.
It is worth noting that, Air Cote d’Ivoire has a codeshare agreement in place with Ethiopian Airlines since 2018, through which the two airlines codeshare on the direct flight operated by the latter between Abidjan and New York-JFK.
Air Cote d’Ivoire also facilitates connections between its West African network and the Ethiopian flag carrier, which operates the route between the Ivorian capital and New York under Fifth Freedom rights and as an extension of a flight that originates at its Addis Ababa (ADD) hub.
The A330-900neos will also be the first widebody aircraft operated by Air Côte d’Ivoire, which was founded in 2012.
As of August 2025, the government-owned carrier operates a fleet of 12 narrowbody aircraft, which comprises five A319s, two A320ceo, a single A320neo and four DHC-8 Q400 aircraft.
