During his appearance before the deputies on November 18, 2025, the Minister of Finance (Minfi) revealed that with the 46 billion CFA francs (nearly 80 million USD) received by Geocoton for the repurchase, in July 2025, by the Cameroonian government, of 30% of its shares in the Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton), the French group Geocoton intends to finance the acquisition of shares in the French airline Corsair. According to Louis Paul Motaze, the repurchase of some shares in Corsair by Geocoton aims to create a joint venture with the Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair Co), the national airline of Cameroon. Ultimately, this merger should facilitate the service to Paris by Camair Co. All this, according to Minfi, “without having to invest in new aircraft”.
To support his argument, Louis Paul Motaze informs the deputies about “discussions initiated between Geocoton and Camair Co with a view to a strategic partnership”. “As a result,” continues the Cameroonian government official, “Geocoton can facilitate Camair Co flights to Paris, without Camair Co needing to invest in the purchase or rental of aircraft.” Specifically, Corsair is to operate flights Douala-Yaoundé-Paris “under the Camair Co label”.
In this partnership, Corsair provides its aircraft and operational expertise to Camair Co, which will only focus on commercial aspects (reservations, distribution, communication). If this project were to be implemented, it would break the monopoly of Air France by Corsair on this highly frequented route. At the same time, it is expected that Camair Co will benefit from increased international exposure and a presence on a strategic axis without heavy investments. Furthermore, this venture offers Camair Co “the opportunity for a revival, after years of operational and financial difficulties, by pooling resources with an actor already positioned in the French market”.
