Air France and Air Côte d'Ivoire will start selling seats on each other's flights between Paris and Abidjan on October 25, 2026. The two airlines announced the codeshare at a meeting of the Association of Francophone Air Carriers in Ajaccio, Corsica, according to Air France's press release dated October 16.
It is a modest deal on paper: one route, two airlines that already know each other well. Air France has owned a stake in Air Côte d'Ivoire since the Ivorian carrier was founded in 2012. But the codeshare is meant to be a first step, and the loyalty piece that comes with it is the part frequent flyers will care about.
What changes on October 25
From that date, Air France will put its AF code on Air Côte d'Ivoire's flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abidjan's Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport. Air Côte d'Ivoire will do the same on Air France's flights on the route.
In practice, that means more departure times to choose from when you book with either airline. Air France says customers will be able to combine the two carriers' schedules. The release does not say how many flights each airline runs on the route, which aircraft they use, or which cabins are on sale under the other's code. Check the operating carrier on your booking, because that decides the seat, the meal and the onboard service you get.
Flying Blue and sMiles
The two airlines also plan to link their loyalty programs, Air France-KLM's Flying Blue and Air Côte d'Ivoire's sMiles. The target launch is the end of 2026, so this part is not live yet.
When it starts, Air France says:
- Flying Blue members will be able to earn and spend miles on Air Côte d'Ivoire flights between Paris and Abidjan.
- sMiles members will be able to earn miles on Air France flights between Abidjan and Paris, and later spend them across Air France's network.
The release gives no earning rates, no award prices and no word on whether elite status will count on the partner's flights. Those details will decide how useful the tie-up really is. Until they are published, treat this as a promise rather than a benefit you can plan around.
What about lounges?
The release says nothing about lounge access, and that matters. Air France belongs to SkyTeam, but Air Côte d'Ivoire does not. So a SkyTeam Elite Plus card will not, by itself, open a lounge door when you fly on an Air Côte d'Ivoire-operated flight, even if it carries an AF flight number. Business class travelers should ask the operating airline which lounge they can use before they fly.
If you are on an Air France-operated flight out of Paris, the usual rules apply. Air France runs several lounges in Terminal 2E, including the Hall K lounge, the Hall L lounge and the Hall M lounge. Your gate and terminal will depend on the flight, so check before you clear security. Our Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport page lists every lounge by terminal.
A bigger network to come
Air Côte d'Ivoire's chief executive, Laurent Loukou, calls the codeshare a first step. He says the partnership will extend to other destinations in Air France's network before the end of the first half of 2027. He adds that, from the start of the agreement, Air Côte d'Ivoire's flights will be sold through Air France's global network.
That could make Abidjan easier to reach from North America and the rest of Europe on a single ticket, with one connection in Paris. Air France chief executive Anne Rigail calls the deal a new milestone in the two airlines' cooperation.
For now, though, the news is narrow. One route gets a codeshare this month. The loyalty link and any wider network are still to come.
Who should pay attention
If you fly between France and Côte d'Ivoire, you will soon have more choice of times under one ticket. If you collect Flying Blue miles, a new way to earn on Air Côte d'Ivoire is on the way, though the rates are not yet known. And if lounge access is part of why you book Air France, look closely at who operates your flight.
You can learn more about both airlines on our pages for Air France and Air Côte d'Ivoire. For a recent change that affects Flying Blue awards and lounges, see our story on business light awards losing lounge access.
