Air Côte d’Ivoire Takes Delivery of Its First Rolls-Royce Powered Airbus A330neo

Air Côte d’Ivoire has officially welcomed its first widebody aircraft, a Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered Airbus A330neo marking a major milestone for the airline and West African aviation.

The delivery flight departed from Airbus’ facility in Toulouse and touched down at Abidjan’s Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport at 17:30 UTC bringing with it a new era of long-haul connectivity for the region.

Omar Ali Adib, Senior Vice President, Customers, Rolls-Royce, said:

“We are proud to power Air Côte d’Ivoire’s first widebody aircraft with our Trent 7000 engines. This is a significant milestone for both the airline and the region as it expands connectivity and supports the growth of long-haul travel across West Africa. The Trent 7000 combines proven reliability with the latest efficiency and durability enhancements ensuring Air Côte d’Ivoire can operate with confidence, efficiency and sustainability from day one. We welcome this delivery and our new Rolls-Royce customer in Africa.”

The Trent 7000: Engineering Powering the Future

The Trent 7000 is the exclusive engine for the A330neo and the seventh member of the world-renowned Trent family which has amassed over 200 million engine flying hours since the first Trent entered service 30 years ago.

With a thrust rating of 68–72,000lb, the Trent 7000 delivers 14% better fuel burn per seat compared to its predecessor and a 6dB reduction in noise compared to the Trent 700. It incorporates advanced technologies that enhance efficiency, sustainability and passenger comfort.

Incredible Engineering by Numbers

The front fan measures 9.3 feet in diameter and draws in up to 1.3 tonnes of air per second during take-off. Each of the 20 titanium fan blades is hollow yet immensely strong, manufactured using super-plastic forming and diffusion bonding. High-pressure turbine blades spin at 12,500 rpm with their tips moving at nearly twice the speed of sound. These turbine blades endure environments hotter than their own melting point, protected by tiny cooling air holes that keep their surfaces shielded at temperatures over 2,000 °C.

With this delivery Air Côte d’Ivoire joins the growing community of A330neo operators backed by Rolls-Royce’s latest generation of Trent technology promising greater fuel efficiency and enhanced performance on long-haul routes.