Air Côte d’Ivoire, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, has taken delivery of the first of its two Airbus A330-900 neo aircraft, representing the first widebody aircraft in its fleet. The A330-900 fleet will play a key role in Air Côte d’Ivoire’s expansion plans to Europe, starting with routes to Paris, then to destinations in the Middle East and North America.
The aircraft has been delivered with the Airbus Airspace cabin, which offers passengers a high level of comfort and ambience, with large overhead stowage bins, an innovative cabin lighting system, and access to the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems.
The airline has specified its A330-900s in a four-class cabin configuration, with four seats in first class, 44 in business class, 21 in premium economy class, and 173 in economy class.
Air Côte d’Ivoire selected Thompson Aero Seating to supply those 44 seats in the business-class cabin, opting for the popular VantageXL model with fully flat beds, 100% direct-aisle access, useful surfaces for work, dining and relaxation, and multiple personal stowage spaces.
The airline has also chosen the fully enclosed suite option at the front row of the cabin. This option, with a customised front row, enables upgraded suites to be fitted in the front row with no loss of seat count in the cabin – hence Thompson dubs it ‘first class for free’. Indeed, the airline is marketing the four front-row suites as ‘First class by Air Côte d’Ivoire’.
The airline has chosen an elegant mix of light greys and charcoals to trim the VantageXL seats, with areas of dark wood-effect to add a sense of deep luxury, and accents of burnt orange drawn from Air Côte d’Ivoire’s brand colours.
Andy Morris, chief commercial officer at Thompson Aero Seating, said of the order: “This is another milestone confirming our position as the market leader for A330 premium aircraft seating. Air Côte d’Ivoire is the latest in a long line of carriers to select the VantageXL, with its own carefully customised version of the seat trusted by leading global carriers.
“Air Côte d’Ivoire is the latest example of our momentum and wide product appeal. Thompson has seen incredible global growth, and together with class-leading delivery execution we are delighted to bring world-class comfort and innovation to an ever-expanding list of airline customers.”
