Air Côte d'Ivoire (HF, Abidjan) will commence international flights out of the second-largest city in Ivory Coast, Bouaké, later this quarter.

General Manager René Decurey told a press conference in Abidjan last week that the carrier would start a 3x weekly return service between Bouake and Bamako, Mali from November 1 onwards using Dash 8-400 equipment.

The service, he said, would contribute to "economic development" of the Ivory Coast's poorer regions.

Until now Air Cote d'Ivoire's operations had focussed exclusively on its Abidjan hub.

Aside from Mali, the Ivorian carrier also serves Nigeria, Ghana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Benin, Niger, the (Democratic) Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Senegal, Togo, and Liberia.