Air Cote d’Ivoire has commenced operations into the Nigerian aviation industry with scheduled flights between Abidjan and Lagos, a move the airline said would go a long way to strengthen trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries.        

Moustapha Fofana, country manager for Air Cote d’Ivoire at a forum held for travel agents and journalists in Lagos on Tuesday said in recent years there had been a huge gap occasioned by a rise in passenger traffic between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

He said such rise came from private business owners, diplomats and corporate establishments and for which the airline had to step in to fill with a direct flight emanating from Abijan to Lagos.                                        

“This country (Nigeria) offers a huge business market with a growing movement of individual businesses and telecoms, banks, manufacturers, oil and gas multinationals from Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire,” said Fofana. Indeed, the Nigerian aviation market has been described by many analysts to be growing in leaps and bounds in recent years and Fofana said since the commencement of operations early 2015 patronage has kept going higher.