Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Air Transport Ministers Endorse Regional Strategy to Remove Taxes from Air Transport and Reduce Charges By 25%, Effective January 1, 2026
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) air transport ministers gathered in Lomé, Togo, to discuss the pressing challenge of high air transport costs and to enhance aviation safety across the region. Ministers also considered proposals to compensate passengers if flights are excessively delayed. The high-level ministerial meeting builds on the outcome of expert consultations held earlier this week and focused on developing strategies to ensure more affordable, efficient and safe air transport services to support regional connectivity and promote deeper economies. Integration.
Discussions focused on developing concrete strategies and common policies to reduce the cost of air travel, which is currently among the highest in the world. In fact, in West Africa, fees, taxes and fees account for almost fifty percent (50%) of the total cost of a ticket. The goal is to bring aviation charges, taxes and fees into line with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) through regional supplementary laws. In addition, ministers adopted a regional regulation on common fundamental standards and measures applicable to aviation safety. These efforts are in line with the directives issued by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 65th Ordinary Session in July 2024, which called for decisive action to reduce air transport costs and improve travel convenience for citizens across West Africa.
M. Sédiko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization, stressed in a statement that “the high cost of air travel in West Africa is an obstacle to trade and regional integration. Let’s bring our aviation tax in line with Alignment of global standards is vital to making air travel more accessible and competitive.”
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of the Republic of Togo, His Excellency Sani Yaya, has renewed his call for cooperative action, saying that harmonizing aviation charges and enhancing security will attract important investments, boost tourism and strengthen economic cooperation among ECOWAS member states. He officially opened the meeting.
Ministers are actively working to create a unified regional framework aimed at reducing air ticket prices so that air travel becomes more affordable for both citizens and businesses and traveling by air is no longer a luxury. Key priorities include eliminating all taxes that are inconsistent with ICAO recommendations and reducing two major fees (passengers and security) by 25%. All these decisions are aimed at optimizing costs and ensuring aviation safety protocols are in line with international best practice. The reforms, which all member states must implement by January 1, 2026, are expected to increase passenger traffic, stimulate economic growth, and promote the free movement of people, goods and services within the region, ultimately deepening regional integration. During the one-year transition period, countries will make the necessary fiscal provisions and national-level preparations to ensure a smooth takeoff. ECOWAS and other partners will also take complementary measures, including mobilizing resources to support countries’ projects, establishing regional oversight committees to monitor compliance and implementing other support projects such as regional aircraft leasing companies and regional aircraft maintenance centers to support aviation Companies get cheaper services servicing West Africa.
The final outcome of the review will be recommendations to the upcoming ECOWAS Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit in December 2024. These strategic recommendations are expected to underpin the reforms needed to transform West Africa’s aviation industry, thereby positioning it as a cornerstone of the transformation of West Africa’s aviation industry. Economic growth and regional integration.
Finally, ministers agreed that the decisions would be implemented no later than January 1, 2026, and that a supervisory committee would be established to oversee the cost-cutting process.
This joint effort by ECOWAS underlines its unwavering commitment to promote sustainable development and enhance regional cohesion through a more efficient and accessible air transport sector.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
