West Africa Bears Africa’s Highest Air Tax Burden At $110 Per

West Africa has the highest average tax burden on air passengers in Africa, with travellers paying about $110 in taxes and government charges per departure, more than three times the average of $32 recorded in Europe for comparable short regional journeys, according to a new report by the Atlantic Council.

The finding appears in the council’s August 2026 issue brief, Opening Africa’s Skies to Trade, Growth and Jobs, which identifies high taxes, restrictive regulations, blocked airline revenues and dependence on imported aviation fuel as major constraints on the growth of Africa’s air transport industry.

The report said taxes, fees and government charges account for 35 to 40 per cent of African airfares, compared with a global average of about 20 per cent, making air travel disproportionately expensive for passengers across the continent.

For short regional flights, African passengers pay an average of $68 in taxes per departure, compared with $32 in Europe. West Africa records the highest burden at $110 per passenger.

The report noted that much of the burden is imposed as fixed charges attached to tickets, meaning passengers pay the same sums regardless of the underlying airfare.

“Most of this burden falls on the passenger through a flat sum charged per ticket, regardless of fare,” the report said.

It warned that departure taxes, security levies and other service charges can have a particularly damaging effect on short-haul regional routes because they can account for a large proportion of the base fare.

The Atlantic Council cited an estimate from the International Air Transport Association that on some African routes, taxes and government charges can reach $60 to $70 on a $100 ticket, effectively consuming most of the fare before airlines account for fuel, aircraft, labour and other operating expenses.

The high cost structure can make some regional routes commercially unviable, particularly services linking secondary cities where passenger volumes are relatively low.

The report estimates that aviation reforms across 12 African countries could attract about 5 million additional passengers, generate approximately $1.3 billion in additional tourism spending, create 155,100 jobs and reduce airfares by between 25 and 35 per cent.

The findings highlight the economic cost of fragmented aviation policies in a region seeking to deepen regional integration and intra-African trade.

The high-tax environment has been a recurring concern in West Africa. In December 2025, ECOWAS announced plans to abolish air-ticket taxes across the sub-region from January 1, 2026, after regional officials estimated that taxes and charges could account for 64 to 70 per cent of the price of a typical ticket in West Africa.

Nigeria has also faced mounting concerns over its aviation cost structure.

In May 2026, IATA identified Nigeria among African countries with aviation charges above global averages, warning that high taxes and fees were driving up airfares and weakening regional connectivity.

Industry groups have separately argued that taxes, regulatory levies and other statutory charges consume a significant share of airline revenues, while high fuel costs add further pressure on operating expenses and ticket prices.

Nigeria’s 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) has also remained under scrutiny as the National Assembly considers changes to the distribution of the proceeds among aviation agencies.

The TSC is a statutory charge collected on tickets for flights originating in Nigeria and shared among aviation agencies to support regulatory, safety and operational activities.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has warned that reducing its allocation from the levy could affect its ability to fund aviation safety oversight.

For West Africa, the Atlantic Council’s findings suggest that reducing air-travel costs will require more than expanding airport infrastructure or increasing airline capacity. Cutting excessive taxes and levies, improving regulatory coordination and strengthening regional connectivity could significantly lower fares and unlock passenger demand, tourism revenue and jobs.

At $110 per passenger, West Africa’s tax burden is therefore not merely an aviation-sector issue; it represents a broader competitiveness challenge for businesses, tourism and regional trade