The Economic Community of West African States Commission has announced that all air ticket taxes in the region will be abolished by January 1, 2026, as part of an initiative to make air travel more affordable and enhance regional integration.
The decision is aimed at reducing the high costs of flights in West Africa, which have long been a barrier to trade, tourism, and economic growth across the region.
In an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the Director of Transport and Telecommunications at the ECOWAS Commission, Chris Appiah, explained that the move followed years of research that highlighted West Africa’s status as “having the most expensive air transport services on the continent.”
Appiah pointed out that these costs are primarily driven by government-imposed taxes and aviation charges, which have inflated ticket prices. “These taxes are against the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s guidelines and suppress demand rather than support growth,” he added.
The issue was discussed by Heads of State during their 2023 Summit in Abuja, where they instructed transport and finance ministers to address the matter. As a result, ECOWAS implemented a supplementary act in December 2024, which mandates that member states eliminate air transport taxes and reduce aviation charges by 25 per cent starting in January 2026.
“From 1st January 2026, the heads of state have agreed that all member states should remove taxes on air transport,” the director confirmed. The move is part of ECOWAS’ broader strategy to strengthen regional integration, which relies heavily on connectivity.
“ECOWAS stands for regional integration, and regional integration rides on connectivity. One of the main modes of connecting our member states is air transport,” Appiah noted.
