Nigerians have the third highest airline tax, and rates in Africa – Report

Passengers departing from Nigeria will pay $180, $100 each for international and regional departures, the report shows.

Based on data collected in September 2024 in 54 African countries, these findings detailed in the 2024 Tax and Fees Research Review by the African Aviation Association (AFRAA) ranked Nigeria as the third country with the highest airline tax and fares in Africa in 2024.

The report placed West Africa at the top of the continental air travel costs ranking.

Sierra Leone and the Republic of Benin are also ranked the highest. Sierra Leone ranked first in regional departures, with a price of $294, and the second was ranked internationally at the same rate.

Gabon broke through the international category at $297.7 and ranked second in Regional for $260. Nigeria ranked third in both categories, with passengers paying $180 each for international and regional departures.

The report showed that West Africa recorded the highest average collection on the continent. This is $109.5 for international departures and $97 for regional departures.

“In the top 10 countries with the most expensive prices in terms of ticket tax, billing and fees, Gabon (US$297.7) will be first followed by Sierra Leone (US$294.0) and Nigeria (US$180.0).

“When considering the African subregion, the West Africa region is the most expensive, with an average of USD 109.5 USD of taxes, bills and fees paid for international departures (USD 96.5 USD in 2022; Central Africa averages USD 106.6 USD, with a continued increase of USD 10 compared to 2022,” the report read in part.

“Sierra Leone (USD 294) is the first in the top 10 countries with the most expensive in terms of ticket tax, fees and fees, followed by Gabon (USD 260) and Nigeria (USD 180).

“When considering the African subregion, the West Africa region is the most expensive, showing an average tax, billing, regional departure fees and regional departure fees of $97, compared to an increase of $16.8 in 2024.

The report analyzed the total taxes, fees and fees added to tickets based on data collected in September 2024, and was directly handled by passengers from 54 African countries.

Countries such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Benin were consistent among the top 10 most expensive for both international and regional travel.

These costs are well above the international Africa average of $68 and the regional departures of $59.05. By comparison, North African passengers paid an average of only $25.27 for international travel, despite accounting for the region, which accounts for 35% of the continent's total air transport.

The AFRAA report focused on the burden of rising burdens placed on African travelers. Passengers in Africa paid 3.5 separate taxes and fees per international ticket, compared with an average of 2.53 in Europe and 2.69 in the Middle East.

The study also highlighted major concerns that it did not broadly violate international standards on aviation taxes and cost recovery, as laid out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).