Parliamentarians from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting in Lomé to address the issue of high airfares in the region. A joint session of the “Infrastructure, Energy and Mining” and “Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources” committees of the ECOWAS Parliament began on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Over five days, parliamentarians and air transport experts will work to develop concrete recommendations for sustainably reducing air transport costs, which are seen as a significant barrier to regional integration.
The meeting, held under the theme “Air transport as a means of integrating West African peoples: strategies for reducing air ticket costs,” aims to identify the structural and fiscal obstacles contributing to high ticket prices. Air travel within West Africa is often more expensive than intercontinental flights. Parliamentarians are motivated by the observation that prohibitive ticket prices, excessive taxes, high airport fees, fragmentation of the West African air market, and incomplete implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration on the liberalization of African skies are hindering progress.
Read more: Labor Day: Authorities Promote Togolese Goods.
These challenges affect citizen mobility, impede the flow of goods and services, and undermine ECOWAS’s economic integration goals. “Air transport is an essential lever for economic development and subregional integration. It promotes trade, stimulates tourism, strengthens cultural and social ties, and contributes to the growth of our economies,” emphasized Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima, President of the Community Parliament, at the opening of the session.
During the Lomé meeting, parliamentarians plan to propose measures to reduce taxes and fees on tickets, lower the cost of aviation fuel (which is disproportionately high in the region), and encourage member states to enforce regional and continental aviation regulations. An advocacy session is planned to present these proposals to governments and industry stakeholders, while promoting a gradual harmonization of pricing policies within the region.
This initiative aligns with the Additional Act adopted in December 2024 by the ECOWAS Heads of State, which outlines a common policy on airport charges, including a 25% reduction in certain fees and provisions for passenger compensation in the event of disruptions.
