Ferkessédougou Airport

Decommissioning and replacement. The original, likely rudimentary airstrip (represented by the CI-0006 identifier) was closed and superseded by the modern, paved Ferkessédougou Airport (ICAO: DIFK) to accommodate larger, modern aircraft and meet higher safety and operational standards. The closure was a result of planned infrastructure development rather than a specific incident, economic failure, or military conversion.

The physical location of the former airstrip is now encompassed by the modern and fully operational Ferkessédougou Airport (ICAO: DIFK, IATA: FEK). This active airport features a paved runway and serves the region with scheduled domestic passenger flights, most notably by the national carrier, Air Côte d'Ivoire, providing connections to Abidjan. The airport is also crucial for business travel and cargo transport related to the local sugar complexes (e.g., SUCAF-CI).

The original airstrip at Ferkessédougou was historically significant as a primary transportation link for this important agricultural center in northern Côte d'Ivoire, known for its large sugar and cotton industries. In the colonial and early post-independence periods, it would have been used for government administration, mail delivery, medical transport, and connecting the remote Savanes District with the economic capital, Abidjan. Operations would have been limited to small, light aircraft capable of using a basic, possibly unpaved, runway.

There are no prospects or plans to 'reopen' the airport under the designation CI-0006. The identifier is obsolete, and the location is already served by the active Ferkessédougou Airport (DIFK). The current airport fulfills and exceeds the role of the original airstrip, so there is no need to reactivate a defunct facility.