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Air France to turn Abidjan into regional hub

Air France to fight off Gulf rivals with new airline

Air France-KLM expects to turn Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan into its west African regional hub within a decade, the airline's chief executive said on Tuesday.

"In five or ten years, it will be a strategic destination," CEO Alexandre De Juniac told AFP.

Air France-KLM's local partner airline, Air Cote d'Ivoire, will be the "recipient" for west African passengers travelling to cities across that part of the continent.

Air France-KLM flies the Paris-Abidjan route seven times per week.

De Juniac also said Kenya's capital Nairobi would become a hub for east Africa, based on its partnership with Kenya Airways.