On Friday 9 May, parliamentarians from the ECOWAS Joint Commission on Infrastructure, Energy and Mines/Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources” recommended the abolition of 4 taxes on air tickets in sub-regional areas as of 1 January 2026.

Parliamentarians were in an offshore meeting in Lomé from 6 to 9 May. They reflected on the theme: “air transport as a means of integrating West African peoples: strategies for reducing airline ticket costs”. This meeting resulted in a series of recommendations addressed to heads of state and government, the Commission and the ECOWAS Parliament. Member States were invited to “take all necessary measures as of 1 January 2026 to effectively abolish the 4 taxes, namely: ticket tax, tourist tax, solidarity tax and foreign travel tax and to reduce by 25%, the fee rates for passenger services and security fees”. The co-chair of the presidium at the end, Deputy Fanta Conté made this statement. ECOWAS elected officials also call for the development of a regulatory framework setting a ceiling on taxes, fees and airport fees; the establishment of a regional fund to support West African airlines; the creation of a single air transport space in order to pool burdens and make the West African aviation sector

MEPs also call for the urgent establishment of a committee including parliamentarians for the implementation and monitoring of the additional act relating to the common policy on fees, taxes and aviation duties in the ECOWAS member states and the additional act concerning amendment of article 4 of the Additional Act relating to the common rules for compensating passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long delay of flights in ECOWAS member states