Concerns Mount Over Height Of Air Fares In Africa
In recent years, high levies, taxes and airport charges imposed on airlines and other airport users by government through the airport authorities has increased concern among air transport stakeholders, particularly because of effect of this trend on air fares, where it discourages growth of air travel.
“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,” said the Secretary General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), General Abderahmane Berthe.
The Chief Executive Officer of TAAG Angola Airlines, Mr. Nelson Rodrigues de Oliveira said the high cost of air travel in Africa is structural and is evident in airport charges, multiple taxes and fees, high fuel prices and limited economies of scale.
IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Mr. Kamil Al-Awadhi notes that the charges in Africa are sometimes 20 times more expensive than any other country, urging African government to understand aviation before they hike prices. He said between 60-70% of every ticket in Africa goes towards taxes, charges and levies, adding that airlines need engagement of the governments, who need to understand the impact that this has on their decisions.
An IATA report delivered last year on the Value of Air Transport to Nigeria’s Economy stated that based on data collected between 2023 and 2024, despite the $2.5 billion air transport contribution representing 0.7% of the country’s GDP, the average real airfare in Nigeria within the period under review had decreased by 43% between 2011 and 2023, with the local population needing to work 37.6 days to afford a plane ticket.
Speaking at the FAAN National Aviation Conference held in November 2025, Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi had raised an alarm over depleting passenger figures in Nigeria, saying this is a major cause for concern. He confirmed that traffic had been dwindling since 2022, saying the situation was getting worse and efforts must be made to attract more passengers to fly.
“We are in trouble, we have to find a way to get people flying again,” he said.
While airfares are high, the average disposable income of many Nigerians is relatively low. Higher airfares in Nigeria have several implications such as elevated travel costs for consumers, decreased demand for air travel, adverse effects on tourism, increased operational costs for businesses that depend on air transport and inflationary pressures on related sectors such as hospitality and logistics.
Seeking a way out of this phenomenon for the West African region, the Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) has taken measures to implement directives adopted at the bloc’s 2023 summit and reinforced by a 2024 Supplementary Act, which abolishes air ticket taxes in the region from January 1, 2026, as part of an initiative to make air travel more affordable and enhance regional integration.
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, Director of Transport at 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 said, adding that four major levies, including the security tax, are not directly linked to the provision of aviation services and therefore, will be eliminated entirely.
Rodrigues de Oliveira feels that addressing this challenge requires coordinated action while government needs to review and rationalize aviation related taxes. He calls for deepened cooperation by airlines through alliances, code-sharing and joint procurement while fleet modernization will help to reduce costs per seat.
The Secretary-General of African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi has said that accelerating implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) can cut Nigerian airfares by 35% and boost traffic by 55%.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has stated that the removal of taxes in the aviation sector cannot be decided by one individual, noting that such policies are subject to collective government approval and legislative review. He said despite industry pressure over multiple taxation, tax removal lies beyond the jurisdiction of the aviation ministry alone. He stressed that statutory levies require input from key institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, tax authorities, and the National Assembly, adding that “some of these things are statutory. They are laws already.” He however noted that President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria had already shown commitment to addressing tax burdens in the industry.
Recent tax law changes in Nigeria have removed waivers for airline tickets, aircraft, engines, and spare parts, which the country’s aviation industry stakeholders warn could further increase costs.
Stakeholders also opine that airlines need to make air transport more accessible to
African citizens while maintaining financial sustainability.
