The national airline Air Côte d’Ivoire has secured 35 billion FCFA in funding from the West African Development Bank (BOAD). The objective is to build an aircraft maintenance center at Abidjan International Airport.

Air Côte d’Ivoire is taking a decisive step in its development strategy. The project could permanently reposition Côte d’Ivoire in the African aviation sector. This project was validated at the end of March 2026 and aims to create an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) type center. The ambition is to enable the airline to carry out its own fleet maintenance and capture a share of the regional aircraft maintenance market.

The project addresses a major challenge for the continent: the capital flight linked to outsourced aircraft maintenance. Each year, billions of dollars leave Africa to finance technical services performed outside the continent.

By developing local capacity, Côte d’Ivoire positions itself as a key player in African industrial sovereignty. Ultimately, the center could host aircraft from other West African airlines, thereby creating a regional technical ecosystem.

With this initiative, Abidjan strengthens its ambitions to become a major air hub in West Africa. This maintenance center could be a cornerstone of this strategy, alongside the development of airport infrastructure and the expansion of the national fleet.