Air Ivoire
Encyclopedia
Air Ivoire is an airline
headquartered in the Immueble EECI in Abidjan
, Côte d'Ivoire
. It is the national airline and operates scheduled regional and intercontinental services. Its main base is Port Bouet Airport
, Abidjan.
held an interest in the airline until January 1976, when the government of Côte d'Ivoire
acquired all of the shares. Initially known as Air Ivoire, the airline suspended operations in September 1999 due to financial difficulties. After being acquired by AAA, owned 51% by Air France
and AIG, the company changed its name to Nouvelle Air Ivoire and resumed operations in 2001. The airline has since reverted to its original title.
According to the company website, after an increase in the airline's company, and a repurchase by the government, Air Ivoire reverted to Government control. On 15 October 2008, the private Groupe Atlantique took a 51% shareholding, with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire retaining 49%.
Air Ivoire finalized a substantial fleet modernization process in the second half of 2009, whereby its Fokker F28 were replaced by three Boeing 737s forming the backbone of its regional network. All aircraft are maintained as per Ivorian and European standards (EU-OPS).
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
headquartered in the Immueble EECI in Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. It is the national airline and operates scheduled regional and intercontinental services. Its main base is Port Bouet Airport
Port Bouet Airport
Port Bouet Airport , also known as Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, is located 16 kilometres southeast of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.The airport was one of many hubs for multi-national airline Air Afrique.- Airlines and destinations:...
, Abidjan.
History
The airline was established on 14 December 1960 and started operations in August 1964. Sodetraf, UTA and Air AfriqueAir Afrique
Air Afrique was a Pan-African airline, that was mainly owned by many West African countries for most of its history. It was established as the official transnational carrier for francophone West and Central Africa, because many of these countries did not have the capability to create and maintain a...
held an interest in the airline until January 1976, when the government of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
acquired all of the shares. Initially known as Air Ivoire, the airline suspended operations in September 1999 due to financial difficulties. After being acquired by AAA, owned 51% by Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and AIG, the company changed its name to Nouvelle Air Ivoire and resumed operations in 2001. The airline has since reverted to its original title.
According to the company website, after an increase in the airline's company, and a repurchase by the government, Air Ivoire reverted to Government control. On 15 October 2008, the private Groupe Atlantique took a 51% shareholding, with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire retaining 49%.
Air Ivoire finalized a substantial fleet modernization process in the second half of 2009, whereby its Fokker F28 were replaced by three Boeing 737s forming the backbone of its regional network. All aircraft are maintained as per Ivorian and European standards (EU-OPS).
Incidents and accidents
- On November 23, 2006 the Air Ivoire flight from Paris-Orly to AbidjanAbidjanAbidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
was diverted to MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
due to a bomb threat on board the aircraft.
Fleet
The Air Ivoire fleet includes the following aircraft (as of January 2011):- 1 Airbus A321-211
- 3 Boeing 737-500