Abidjan Airport uses two small and rather outdated terminals, which are about 50 metres apart.
The larger terminal serves international flights and the small old building with no facilities handles only domestic flights.
The terminal is often very crowded with insufficient seating and air conditioning.
View rates for hotels in Abidjan
Immigration and security checks
Of the major West African airports, immigration control in Abidjan is one of the most well-organised.
Queues form at around 45-60 minutes after the arrival of a large plane from Paris, Dubai or Brussels and within 30 minutes from other destinations.
Pre-departure security checks tend to be thorough and you can spend up to 30 minutes in line.
Transfer between flights
Abidjan is an important transfer point, especially between Air Cote d'Ivoire flights.
Due to the small size of the terminal, the transfer is relatively quick and the official minimum transfer time is 45 minutes.
Once off the plane, you can follow the "Transfer" signs which will lead you to the ground floor for transfer security check (there can be a queue for up to 20 minutes). There is no immigration check on transfer.
- Average transfer time - 20-45 minutes
- Baggage - will be transferred automatically
Overnight in the terminal - opening hours
The airport is formally open 24/7, however, if no aircraft arrives or departs at night for more than 8 hours, the terminal will close and passengers will not be allowed to stay overnight.
Even when the terminal is open, there are virtually no suitable places to spend the night in the public area. The airport building is very small and with insufficient seating.
Hotels near the airport
If you need to spend the night near the airport, you can choose from two large hotels within a 2-minute drive (or 10-minute walk) of the airport.
These hotels offer their own free transfer service to/from the airport:
