ECOWAS To Abolish Air Ticket Taxes in January

In a bid to lessen the financial strain of air travel, improve regional integration, and boost tourism and economic activities within West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States Commission has announced that, effective January 1, 2026, air ticket taxes will be eliminated. Aviation charges, which are a separate type of levy, will also decrease by 25%. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the regional bloc revealed that the abolition of ticket taxes and reduction in charges are informed by a resolution reached by its top brass during its December 2024 leadership summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, which mandates that member states eliminate air transport taxes and reduce aviation charges by 25 percent, effective January 2026. 

In an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the 10th of December, 2025, Chris Appiah, the Director of Transport and Telecommunications at the ECOWAS Commission, noted that the move comes after years of research showing that West African ticket prices are significantly the highest on the continent, a situation that has continued to worsen every year. In his address, Appiah linked the exorbitant cost of ticket prices to government-imposed taxes and charges, which he alleges are against global aviation practices. “These taxes are against the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s guidelines and suppress demand rather than support growth,” he said.

A key concern with the removal of aviation taxes is its potential impact on government revenue. Appiah, however, has a sanguine view of the matter. As he sees it, the reduced costs of air tickets will encourage tourism, and boost sectors of the economy ranging from health to education, and manufacturing. This will culminate in improved economic activity in the region, which ultimately translates to increased government revenue. Strengthening integration between member states is another core goal of the policy. “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 observed.

Another concern is the question of whether airlines will pass on the benefits of this new policy to consumers. Left unchecked, we run the risk of falling into a situation where the airlines keep most of the benefits, leaving consumers with the same problem of exorbitant ticket prices. To prevent this, Appiah has said ECOWAS is working directly with airline operators to ensure a commensurate drop in ticket prices. “We are working with the airlines themselves to make sure that when the taxes and charges are removed, they will also, in turn, reduce their tickets, so that the citizens of West Africa can travel freely,” he said.

In a region where, according to Appiah, taxes and charges often constitute between 64 and 70 percent of a typical airline ticket, this new policy promises to bring a much-needed reprieve to travelers in West Africa. The move is also expected to boost the regional economy and put West African airlines in a better position to compete with their counterparts in other parts of the continent.