In July 1996, responsibility for operating and developing Abidjan Houphouet-Boigny airport, the main airport of Cote d9Ivoire, was transferred through a 15-year concession agreement from the government to AERIA, a French-led consortium. In the years that followed, traffic growth exceeded the forecasts of both the government and the concessionaire, leading to acceleration and revision of investment plans for the airport. But even as traffic grew, the external environment was on the cusp of significant change via an unprecedented initiative for the liberalization of civil aviation throughout the West and Central Africa region. While this initiative could spur increased demand for air-travel and cargo services, it also poses a potential threat to the Abidjan concession through enhanced competition for the airport9s largest airline, Air Afrique. Also, liberalization promises to increase competition among airports to serve as primary regional hubs.