The Directorate General of Air Transport (DGTA) carried out a work mission to Dubai with Emirates Airlines from July 18 to 24, 2026. This immersion aimed to nourish the strategic competitiveness plan carried by the Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Amadou Koné, whose ambition is to make Abidjan a reference hub in West Africa. The delegation, led by the Director General of Air Transport, Ahmed Coulibaly, included two directors of the DGTA and was received by the main management of Emirates, in the presence of the Ivorian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Vacaba Diaby. This mission closes a cycle begun in January 2025 with a consultation of users at the Capitol Hotel in Abidjan-Cocody, then continued on April 9, 2026 with a national workshop at the Maison de l'entreprise devoted to taxation, quality of service and the development of the air sector.

During the 4 days of exchanges, the Ivorian representatives observed several performance measures from Emirates, including the rapid renewal of the Air Carrier Certificate, significantly more advantageous ticket taxation (around 36 dollars compared to 100 dollars in Ivory Coast), control center managing nearly 500 daily flights, automated Terminal 3 and maintenance center with 12 hangars. At the end of the discussions, three major advances were noted, namely the feasibility study of a direct Abidjan-Dubai flight, the lifting since July 16, 2026 of the restriction on excess baggage for West African passengers, and the preparation of a memorandum of understanding between Emirates and the Ministry of Tourism, initiated during the Dubai Air Show 2025.

Note that these achievements will now serve as a basis for the final development of the national strategic plan, the implementation of which will determine the real capacity of Abidjan to compete with large regional hubs in the coming years.