The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken bold steps to address the disturbing high airfares within the region with an ambitious plan to implement a 25% reduction in passenger service and security charges on air travel within the sub-region by January 2026.
This move has become necessary because the region’s economy and businesses have been hampered in different dimensions due to high airfares reported among the highest in the world. But there are projections that air traffic in the region could surge by over 40% within a year of implementing the proposed changes, potentially generating over $500 million in additional revenue.
According to a recent study, passengers in the ECOWAS region are burdened with 66 different charges, while airlines face 112 distinct levies. These excessive costs significantly inflate airfares, hindering regional connectivity and economic integration and the urgency to address these challenges cannot be over emphasized.
It therefore became incumbent on the relevant committee of aviation experts to recommend that member states adopt a new regional strategy, which includes the elimination of all taxes on air travel in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The committee emphasized that savings from these measures must be reflected in ticket pricing structures, urging airlines to pass on the benefits to consumers. Airports, meanwhile, are encouraged to adopt business-friendly practices to improve efficiency, cut costs, and grow non-aeronautical revenue streams.
An oversight committee is expected to be established by June 2025 to monitor implementation, while the full proposal awaits formal endorsement by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in the coming months.
According to the report submitted for review by the consultant, the regional organs must ensure that airports embrace business practices that will enable them to cover the 25% reduction.
Chris Appiah, Director for Transport at the ECOWAS Commission told reporters in during a session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Lome, Togo that the policy is transformative, stressing that canceling certain taxes and reducing charges by 25% could stimulate air travel demand in the sub-region by up to 40%.
“We’ve conducted comprehensive studies and found that ECOWAS airports charge significantly more than their counterparts elsewhere in Africa—up to 103% more in passenger service charges and 53% more in security charges,” Appiah said.
According to him the policy targets the removal of taxes that are non-compliant with ICAO standards, such as security and tourism levies, and ensure transparent pricing structures. “You don’t tax air transport to promote tourism—it defeats the purpose,” he added.
Recall that at the 2014 summit of ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja, leaders recognized the economic implications of exorbitant airfares and tasked the Commission with developing a solution. ECOWAS swung to action in collaboration with global and regional partners, including IATA, AFRAA, AFCAC, and the African Union, and came up with a harmonized strategy to align with international best practices.
It is on record that the top-performing airports and airlines in Africa—mostly from North, East, and Southern Africa—operate under zero-tax regimes on air transport services, while ECOWAS airports lag behind, with only Lagos and Accra featuring in the top 10 busiest intra-African routes.
“ECOWAS will lead coordination, but each government must engage its finance ministries and parliaments to remove the identified taxes and reduce charges,” Appiah emphasized, adding that “reducing charges will not reduce revenue; rather, it will increase it by stimulating demand.”
The strategy also includes a push for better collaboration among airlines through code-sharing and joint ventures. This would allow passengers to travel across the region using multiple carriers under a single ticket, reducing operational costs and boosting efficiency.
“For instance, Air Peace could partner with ASKY or Air Côte d’Ivoire to serve regional routes more cost-effectively,” said Appiah. “This is standard practice in global aviation and can help reduce fares significantly.”
It is also important to emphasize private sector leadership in the air transport industry as government-run airlines often suffer from inefficiency and bureaucracy. The best results come when the public sector creates an enabling environment, and the private sector handles operations according to the expert.
There are successful models like Ethiopian Airlines as it has been recorded that even state-owned carriers must operate independently of government bureaucracy to thrive. Therefore the region must adhere to a performance-driven approach, whether through national, regional, or continental airlines.
With all member states signed onto the ICAO conventions, ECOWAS believes the time is ripe to align regional air transport policies with global best practices, unlocking the full potential of West African skies for business, tourism, and integration.
