The ECOWAS cut in air transport taxes and charges and Sierra Leone

What ECOWAS decided

ECOWAS transport ministers met in Lomé, Togo, and endorsed a regional plan on air fares, according to an ECOWAS release of 12 November 2024 ². They agreed to remove taxes that are not in line with ICAO recommendations and to cut passenger and security charges by 25 percent ². They gave states a one-year transition and set a start no later than 1 January 2026 ². The release says charges, taxes and fees make up nearly 50 percent of the cost of an air ticket in West Africa ².

ECOWAS heads of state adopted the measure at their December 2024 summit in Abuja, according to an ECOWAS release of 9 December 2025 ¹. The legal instrument is the Supplementary Act on Aviation Charges, Taxes and Fees ¹. ECOWAS says Supplementary Acts bind member states, but each state must amend its national laws and policies for uniform application ¹. BusinessDay reported that the December 2025 summit in Abuja repeated the directive to cut the charges from 1 January 2026 ⁵.

Which taxes and charges are covered

The ECOWAS releases do not name the taxes ^1,2. Ecofin Agency reported in July 2026 that the reform targets four levies, the ticket, solidarity, tourism and foreign travel taxes ³. Aviation Week reported in December 2025 that four levies, including the security tax, would be removed as not tied to aviation services, citing ECOWAS transport director Chris Appiah ⁶. The Sun reported Appiah saying in July 2026 that two taxes and four charges were targeted for removal or a 25 percent cut ⁴.

ECOWAS says passengers in the region can face up to 66 separate charges and airlines more than 100 fees ¹. It says regional fares cost 85 percent more than the global average ¹. Ecofin reported AFRAA figures of about US$92 in taxes on a departing international flight in the region, against US$32 in Europe or the Middle East ³. BusinessDay reported that an AFRAA ranking for 2024 put Sierra Leone second after Gabon among the most expensive countries for air travel taxes and fees ⁵.

Where Sierra Leone stands

The Sun, as reported by Chinelo Obogo on 10 July 2026, quoted Appiah saying ECOWAS had received official communication from the Government of Sierra Leone ⁴. He said the country had "removed the $50 airport security charge previously levied on all passengers" ⁴. The report gave no date for the communication ⁴.

Sierra Leone sources give a different amount and a different status. This site found no Sierra Leone source for a US$50 charge. The Ministry of Internal Affairs set a US$25 security fee for inbound and outbound passengers from 1 September 2022 ⁹. A ministry notice dated 3 July 2026 suspended that fee from 6 July 2026 for a contract review and a special audit by Audit Service Sierra Leone ⁷. The notice as reported describes a suspension, not a removal, and does not mention ECOWAS ⁷. Before September 2022 the government paid Securiport, according to the 2022 ministry notice ⁹.

The National Revenue Authority website, on an undated page, still describes the Foreign Travel Tax as 10% of the normal return fare, collected by the ticket issuer ⁸. The authority's Tax and Non-Tax Revenue Guide of October 2022 says the Act was amended by the Finance Act 2017 and gives flat rates instead, from US$25 economy to an ECOWAS country up to US$250 first class elsewhere ¹⁰. The website page is undated, so this site cannot say which version applies now ^8,10. This site has not found an official Sierra Leone notice that changes the Foreign Travel Tax or cuts passenger service charges under the ECOWAS Act.

Monitoring and other countries

Ecofin reported that the ECOWAS Air Transport Economic Oversight Committee held its first meeting in Lomé on 2 and 3 July 2026, chaired by Togo's Transport Minister Comla Kadjé ³. It said member states were at different stages and that Côte d'Ivoire adopted three decrees in April 2026 cutting charges on intra-ECOWAS flights by 25% ³. Reports to heads of state were due at the end of July 2026 and in December 2026 ³.

Ecofin reported that lower fares will not show in booking systems until revised tax data reaches the industry fare database ATPCO ³. The Sun reported Appiah saying all 12 member states had begun the compliance process ⁴.