The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that all air ticket taxes across airports in the sub-region will be abolished from January 1, 2026, a landmark decision aimed at slashing airfare costs and accelerating regional integration.
The plan was disclosed by the ECOWAS Director of Transport and Communications, Chris Appiah, during a briefing with journalists on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers’ meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.
Appiah said the tax removal is a key component of a sweeping aviation reform programme adopted by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2024.
According to Appiah, nearly a decade of studies revealed that West Africa currently has the highest air transport costs in Africa, with taxes and aviation charges accounting for as much as 64–70 per cent of the cost of an average airline ticket.
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“If you buy a typical ticket in West Africa, you realise that about 64 per cent, sometimes up to 70 per cent of the ticket price, is due to taxes and charges,” he said.
He confirmed that from January 1, 2026, all ECOWAS member states are expected to completely remove these taxes.
Appiah argued that the existing tax regime contradicts International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines and ultimately weakens the aviation market.
“These taxes are against ICAO guidelines and suppress demand rather than support growth,” he noted, stressing that lower travel costs are essential for the region’s integration agenda.
He emphasised that affordable air travel is vital for trade, tourism, education, healthcare, and the overall movement of goods and people within the sub-region.
“If you want to buy goods from Lagos to Dakar, for instance, a trader will not pay less than $3,000 in tickets — and a lot of that is taxes,” he said.
ECOWAS Engages Airlines to Guarantee Price Cuts
To ensure the policy achieves its goal, Appiah revealed that ECOWAS is working closely with airlines operating in the region to ensure they reduce airfares once taxes are lifted.
“We are working with the airlines to make sure that when taxes and charges are removed, they will also reduce ticket prices so West Africans can travel freely,” he said.
He noted that other African regions enjoy more affordable air travel because their governments impose significantly fewer aviation charges.
Implementation Framework in Progress
ECOWAS is also liaising with member states, national parliaments, and aviation stakeholders to ensure full implementation by 2026.
“Our charges are sometimes 67 per cent higher than any other region on the continent, which is why airlines like Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, and Royal Air Maroc are thriving while our region struggles,” Appiah added.
A Major Move Amid Rising Regional Instability
The tax removal was adopted during the December 2024 summit in Abuja, marking one of the bloc’s most significant aviation reforms in decades.
It comes at a time when ECOWAS is contending with growing political instability across West Africa. On Tuesday, the bloc declared a state of emergency after a wave of coups and attempted power seizures. A day earlier, it deployed its standby force to the Republic of Benin after a foiled coup attempt.
