Lawmakers across West Africa have issued warnings about the sustained high costs of air travel within the region, describing it as a major barrier to economic integration, trade expansion and people-to-people connections.
Conferences at Rom under the auspices of the ECOWAS Parliament's Joint Committee on Infrastructure, Energy and Mining, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources are calling for urgent reforms to overthrow airfares and improve access to affordable air transport across member states.
Sako Momadu, co-chair of the joint committee that set up the session, underscored the need to find lasting solutions to what he described as one of the most pressing challenges undermining regional cooperation.
Citing the conclusions of the 65th ECOWAS Summit held in Abuja in July 2024, he emphasized that airfares within the block are the highest on the continent. In some cases, it is more expensive to fly between two West African capitals than to travel to a destination outside of Africa.
Despite Ecowas' advancements, air transport remains a costly barrier to true regional integration. The high cost of airfares is hampering travel, weakening business opportunities, limiting tourism potential, and opposes the vision of a boundary-free West Africa,” Momadu said.
Momadu also expressed his gratitude to President Faure Essazimna Gnassinbe for the facilities and support for the warm hospitality of the government and Togoian people and for the facilities and support provided to ensure the smooth conduct of the Congressional lawsuit.
He noted the importance of the long-standing traditions of the host nation of courtesy and solidarity.
The session scheduled for May 5th to 10th is “Air Transport as a Means to Integrate People in West Africa: Strategies to Reduce Airfares.”
This is consistent with the expanded mission of ECOWAS Congress to engage constituents and influence local policy decisions through collaborative dialogue and legislative measures.
Throughout the weekly session, committee members explore practical strategies to address these challenges.
Deliberations include expert briefings, panel discussions and involvement with key stakeholders in the aviation sector. Agenda topics include regulatory reform, development of aviation infrastructure, tax policy reviews and improving airline operations.
Momadu emphasized that cooperation between member states and regional institutions is important.
“If we are to realize the full promise of integration, our people need to be able to travel affordably and efficiently across borders,” he said.
