South African Airways has announced the launch of flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, its 12th destination since relaunching operations.

Flights will operate three times a week, departing from Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11h00 and arriving in Abidjan at 17h00 on the same day, with a 55-minute stopover in Accra.

Bookings will open for sale on September 28, with the first flight from Johannesburg scheduled for November 14. The route will operate via Accra using an Airbus A330-300 with lie-flat business-class seats.

SAA Interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, said: “Adding Abidjan to our route schedule is another feather in SAA’s cap. Located on the West Coast of Africa, Abidjan is also an ideal location for connecting traffic to European destinations. Our decision to implement a service to Abidjan is based on a rigorous analysis of the viability of the route, with sustainability at the heart of our strategic approach since our restart.”

SAA Chief Commercial Officer, Tebogo Tsimane, said the Abidjan route was an integral component of its West Africa expansion strategy.

Abidjan, the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, is known as the ‘Paris of Africa’. It offers travellers a variety of places to explore, including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d’Ivoire, the Jardin Botanique de Bingerville and the Abokouamekro National Park.

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