HIGH COST OF AIR TRAVEL UNDERMINING FREE MOVEMENT, REGIONAL GROWTH – ECOWAS PARLIAMENT SPEAKER 06-05-25
By Sadiq Aminu The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima, has raised concerns over the prohibitive cost of air travel within West Africa, identifying it as a significant barrier to the region’s free movement and integration agenda.
Ibrahima, speaking at the opening of the Sixth Legislature Delocalised Meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee on Infrastructure, Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources in Lomé, Togo, described air transport as a strategic driver of economic development and integration.
Themed “Air Transport as a Means of Integration for West African Peoples: A Strategy for Reducing Airline Ticket Costs,” the high-level meeting brought together regional policymakers and aviation experts to explore strategies for making air travel more affordable in the sub-region.
“This theme is of critical importance to our community,” Ibrahima said. “It highlights a pressing issue affecting our citizens: the steep costs of air travel between our countries. These high prices obstruct the free movement of people and threaten the goals of regional integration.”
She emphasized that air transport plays a crucial role in enhancing economic development, stimulating trade and tourism, and deepening social and cultural connections across West African nations. She warned that without accessible and efficient transport systems, the region’s ambitions for integration and economic growth could be stifled.
The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker attributed the rising cost of airfares to excessive taxation and a web of charges levied at various airports within the sub-region.
“These fees include landing charges, ticket taxes, security levies, and other non-aviation-related charges. While these contribute to state revenues, they collectively drive up the cost of tickets, making air travel inaccessible for many and undermining tourism, a key economic growth sector,” she explained.
She also identified market fragmentation, lack of synergy among national carriers, outdated infrastructure, and weak implementation of liberalized aviation agreements—such as the Yamoussoukro Declaration—as additional challenges.
Ibrahima warned that without an affordable air transport system, the goals of ECOWAS Vision 2050, particularly its third pillar, “Economic Integration and Interconnectivity,” may remain unattainable.
“To achieve these objectives, we must identify viable and sustainable solutions,” she said. “As lawmakers and representatives of the people, our role in shaping decisions that improve regional aviation is vital.”
She called on the ECOWAS Legislature to formulate strong, actionable recommendations for member states and institutions to guide policy reforms that will enhance access and affordability in regional air transport.
“I trust that the deliberations during this meeting, with contributions from aviation experts and leaders, will yield practical solutions to this urgent challenge,” she added. “Let us work collectively toward a more efficient aviation sector that supports regional development and advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063.”