Keypoints:
- ECOWAS to drop air ticket taxes
- Airlines urged to cut passenger fares
- Reform targets stronger regional integration
THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will abolish all air ticket taxes from January 1, 2026, a decision officials say will sharply reduce travel costs and revitalise the region’s struggling aviation sector. The announcement came from Chris Appiah, ECOWAS Director of Transport and Communications, during discussions with journalists at the bloc’s Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja.
He explained that the reform forms part of a wider aviation overhaul approved by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during their December 2024 summit, following years of technical studies on fare structures across the continent.
Charges blamed for costly flights
Appiah said ECOWAS research over the past decade revealed that West Africa has the highest air transport costs in Africa, fuelled largely by heavy government taxes and aviation charges. He added that taxes account for between 64 percent and 70 percent of the average airline ticket within the region.
‘If you buy a typical ticket in West Africa on any of the airlines, you realise that about 64 percent, sometimes up to 70 percent, of the ticket price is as a result of taxes and charges,’ he said, emphasising that these levies contravene International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.
He argued that the current tax regime suppresses demand, slows sector growth, and makes regional travel unaffordable for ordinary citizens.
Airlines asked to reduce fares
Appiah confirmed that ECOWAS is already in talks with airlines to ensure that the removal of taxes results in direct fare reductions. ‘We are working with the airlines themselves to make sure that when the taxes and charges are removed, they will also, in turn, reduce their tickets, so that the citizens of West Africa can travel freely,’ he said.
He cited examples showing the burden on travellers and traders. A return trip from Lagos to Dakar, he said, can exceed $3,000, much of which is made up of state-imposed charges rather than airline operating costs. Other African sub-regions, he noted, enjoy significantly cheaper travel because of their lighter fee regimes.
Implementation underway ahead of 2026
ECOWAS is coordinating with member states, national parliaments, aviation agencies, and industry bodies to ensure the policy is enforced smoothly by the start of 2026. Appiah said West Africa’s aviation charges are sometimes 67 percent higher than elsewhere on the continent, which has allowed airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, and Royal Air Maroc to outperform local carriers.
The removal of taxes, adopted formally during the December 2024 summit in Abuja, is widely regarded within the bloc as a landmark step toward improving mobility, boosting tourism, and strengthening regional integration.
Reform comes amid growing instability
The decision arrives at a moment of significant political and security tension across West Africa. Earlier this week, ECOWAS declared a state of emergency following a surge in coups and attempted power seizures that have destabilised the region. The bloc also ordered the deployment of its standby force to the Republic of Benin after a foiled coup attempt.
Despite these pressures, ECOWAS leaders say strengthening air connectivity is vital for economic resilience and cooperation. With travel demand long suppressed by high costs, officials hope the tax removal will spur growth and open the skies to more people across the region.
