Abidjan Airport

✅ Trip Verified | When first opened some years ago, it was possibly the best airport in Africa but no more! It is even a true mess. Difficult to find one's way, overcrowded and not very clean anymore. The worse was the boarding of my Air Cote d'Ivoire flight: we had to go down on the tarmac and then walk several hundred yards on very uneven ground, in the middle of service vehicles and planes, with no escort, no security. It is well possible it was the airline's fault (sadly not listed on Skytrax) as Air Cote d'Ivoire's service is absolutely non existent, even for business class passengers.

✅ Trip Verified | I have been transiting a few times recently. The airport looks clean, nice and modern, but it's very disorganised. Boarding passes are checked more than five times, while once or twice should be enough. Security screening sees long queues up into the immigration area, due to excessive scrutiny. Transit passengers need to queue to have their boarding pass checked, a practice I haven't seen anywhere else in the world. This all adds to delays, affecting connecting flights as well. For boarding Air Côte d'Ivoire, passengers are asked to wait outside of the terminal, for a bus to the plane, several destinations combined. This kind of takes away the point of checking the boarding pass five times over before completing the boarding process within the terminal. WiFi is free for just half an hour. The terminal is modern and clean, but even at this small size it already looks very overstretched. Lomé Airport does a better job of being a hub in West Africa.

✅ Verified Review | I have been through Abidjan a few times and whilst I was impressed on my first visit, progressive improvements since then mean that it is definitely the best airport I have been to in Africa. There is now decent and free wifi in the departures area, a comfortable new cafe and the information boards are clear.

Small airport but modern and clean facility. No hustlers in the terminal unlike in most African airports. Not much queuing at check-in immigration and security. Air-conditioning functions toilets are clean airbridges and no pax busses but poor amenities: no wifi tiny duty free zone and unattractive lounge.

I frequently travel through this airport and would note a couple of problems in an otherwise nice facility. First I've arrived on another airline and been unable to get help in the transit lounge from Air I'voire even though they are my next flight. You have to get somebody to take you to the front desk through a little back hallway and tip them. Second if you go through the passport desk they have plain clothed policemen without badges who demand your passport in the luggage area without identifying themselves. The restaurant in the departure area is much nicer than the one outside the ticket area where you check in.

I've been through ABJ Airport a number of times over the last couple of years and consider it the best airport in West / Central Africa possible one of the newest. Very clean and friendly with good security. Customs and Immigration take a while to get through but post 9/11 it's no worse than in the States or Europe. Air france the main carrier to/from Europe has additional security prior to boarding the plane. Check in staff and airport Staff both landside and airside very helpfull generally very good Duty Free taking both CFA Euro Dollars and credit cards

I had to visit Abidjan this January. There is no doubt the airport is more than a pleasant surprise: One would expect the worst for any West African ariport in general and even more for this one keeping in mind that the country is fairly isolated and suffering from heavy civil unrest and at the edge of civil war keeping most western travellers and business away. In fact the airport corresponds totally to European counterparts of the same size (fairly small thus). The terminal building is very new and has been totally rebuild in a quite recent past with all confort one can expect: Aircondition normal sanitary facilities and yes all is clean and in good working condition! On arrival jet aircrafts just dock at a direct tunnel connection to the building distances are quite short. All controls are very smooth with absolutely no bribes to give to any official. While standing in line for passport control a "doctor" passes trough the lines and checks vaccinations (Yellow fever is compulsory) every where there is security passport control is smooth and efficient although every one tries to be closest to the luggage belt this also goes quite smoothly including inspection of luggage. No unauthorized people in the arrival area and nowhere unpleasant people insisting on "helping" you carrying your luggage and then trying to run away with it (apparently some people do have a sort of authorization to enter customs area for helping passengers but not insisting). Departure also is quite smooth: Check in is done in an enclosed area with identity check at the entrance so here also one is safe after checking in there is just a short way up the stairs passing customs and then to the departure hall. Here also with all normal facilities: duty free shop large restaurant area some smaller shops and sanitary facilities still clean and in good working order! Altogether thus a pleasant experience!