ECOWAS laments expensive airfares in West Africa

• Published On: 08 May 2025 at 07:36

The Economic Community of West African States has expressed concern over the rising cost of air travel in the region, calling it as the most costly in the world and a significant impediment to regional integration.

On Tuesday, at the start of a delocalised meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament's Joint Committee in Lomé, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, Mr. Sédiko Douka, lamented that flying between West African countries is often more expensive than traveling to destinations outside the continent.

"The air tariff in West Africa remains excessively high compared to other regions," according to Douka. "It is often cheaper to go to a different continent than to travel between two ECOWAS countries. This is harmful to the growth of our regional airspace."

He stated that air transport usage in West Africa remains below 10%, the lowest rate on the continent. In instance, North Africa saw a 40.4 percent increase in air travel in 2024, while Southern and East Africa saw growth rates of 21.4 and 20.5 percent, respectively.

Douka voiced concern that the region is falling behind on important aviation criteria such as airline connectivity, domestic flight availability, airport infrastructure, and major airline operations.

Citing Article 32 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, he stated that the regional body is mandated to coordinate air transport policies among Member States and advocated for the implementation of standard norms to protect passenger rights in circumstances of denied boarding, cancellations, or lengthy delays.

The commissioner asked the joint committee to act quickly to solve the issue, emphasizing the need of harmonised aviation strategy that enable inexpensive and accessible air travel throughout West Africa.

"We must break down these barriers and make regional travel a reality for our citizens," he told reporters.