Abderahmane Berthe, AFRAA Secretary General.
The Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) is set to abolish air ticket taxes in the region by Jan. 1, 2026, as part of an initiative to make air travel more affordable and enhance regional integration.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) said it “warmly welcomes” the landmark decision.
West Africa is regarded as one of the most expensive regions in the world for air travel, a situation long attributed to government-imposed taxes and aviation charges that significantly inflate ticket prices and suppress passenger demand.
Under the new reforms, ECOWAS will remove non-cost-related taxes, most notably the controversial security tax, and reduce aviation charges by 25%.
Chris Appiah, who is the director of transport at the ECOWAS Commission, says high airfare costs in the region are largely driven by taxes and charges that contradict international aviation standards.
“These taxes are against the International Civil Aviation Organization’s guidelines and suppress demand rather than support growth,” he says.
He adds that four major levies, including the security tax, will be eliminated entirely because they are not directly linked to the provision of aviation services.
Speaking to Aviation Week, AFRAA Secretary General Abderahmane Berthe describes the move as a “turning point” that reflects years of advocacy by the association.
“For years, excessive and often unjustified levies have made regional air travel in Africa among the most expensive in the world, stifling demand, hindering connectivity, and undermining the competitiveness of African carriers,” Berthe says.
“ECOWAS has taken a decisive step toward reversing this trend by recognizing that high taxes suppress growth and contradict ICAO’s principles of cost-relatedness and transparency.”
Berthe says the policy will help restore affordability, stimulate intra-African travel and reposition aviation as a driver of regional integration rather than a barrier. He also praises ECOWAS for implementing directives adopted at the bloc’s 2023 summit and reinforced by a 2024 supplementary act.
However, Berthe adds that the success of the policy will depend on effective implementation, urging all stakeholders, including airlines and regulators, to ensure that cost savings are passed on to travelers, as pledged.
“We see this as a model for other African regions to follow, in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area goals and the collective vision of a more connected, prosperous Africa,” he says.
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