As part of plans to reduce taxes related to air transport in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced plans to implement a 25% reduction in airport passenger services and security charges, effective January 1, 2026.
According to thisdaylive.com, the decision follows multiple consultations with airports and civil aviation authorities in the region, where the committee emphasised that the savings from this measure should be reflected in passengers’ airfares. The committee also recommended that airports adopt practices to improve efficiency, cut costs, and grow non-aeronautical revenue streams to mitigate the 25% reduction in their fees.
The full regulatory proposal is still awaiting formal endorsement by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in the coming months. ECOWAS is also establishing an oversight committee, expected to be established by June, to monitor the implementation of the new measure.
“We’ve conducted comprehensive studies and found that ECOWAS airports charge significantly more than their counterparts elsewhere in Africa – up to 103% more in passenger service charges and 53% more in security charges,” Chris Appiah, Director for Transport at the ECOWAS Commission, told reporters during a session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Lomé, Togo.
He said ECOWAS studies had found that cancelling certain taxes and reducing charges by 25% could stimulate air travel demand in the sub-region by up to 40%, and potentially generate an additional US$500 million (R9 billion) in revenue.
Additionally, the regulation aims to remove taxes that are non-compliant with ICAO standards, such as security and tourism levies.
“ECOWAS will lead coordination, but each government must engage its finance ministries and parliaments to remove the identified taxes and reduce charges,” said Appiah.
