The ECOWAS Parliament has launched a five-day session in the Togolese capital Lomé, to follow up on reforms aimed at reducing airline ticket costs and boosting regional integration through air transport.
This session, which began on Tuesday, May 6, focuses on the theme “Air transport as a lever for the integration of West African peoples: strategies for reducing the cost of airline tickets” and brings together key parliamentary commissions on infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and the environment.
The gathering follows a high-level ministerial meeting scheduled for November 2024, also in Lomé, and is tasked with refining and advancing recommendations made by sectoral ministers and experts.
These include harmonizing excessive taxes and charges—currently representing nearly half the cost of plane tickets—by introducing a regional law aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The initiative follows directives issued during the ECOWAS Heads of State Conference in July 2024, which called for urgent measures to improve air travel affordability.
Key steps already underway include a 25% reduction in passenger and security charges, the removal of non-ICAO-compliant taxes, and the development of a regional air safety framework.
Additional measures include establishing a regional aircraft leasing company, maintenance center, and monitoring committee to support airlines and enhance competitiveness. Member states are expected to implement these reforms by January 1, 2026.
The parliamentary session aims to consolidate existing strategies and deliver a comprehensive set of recommendations to the next ECOWAS Heads of State Summit, advancing a vision of air transport as a catalyst for economic growth and regional unity.
