Ghana Aviation Policy at Odds with ECOWAS Air Travel Tax Reforms | By Joojo Maapa
New domestic airport charges may conflict with ECOWAS mandate to abolish air transport taxes by January 2026
Ghana’s recently approved increase in domestic airport charges and proposed passenger service levies stand in stark contrast with a sweeping new regional aviation policy adopted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), raising questions about consistency in domestic aviation policy and regional integration objectives.
Under the 2026 Budget Statement, Parliament backed the Ghana Airports Company Limited’s (GACL) plan to raise the domestic Airport Passenger Service Charge (APSC) from GHC 5 to GHC 100 (approximately US $9) to help fund airport operations, enhance regional airport viability, and address financial imbalances in airport revenue streams.
The APSC hike is intended to ensure that smaller airports such as Tamale, Ho, Sunyani and Wa generate sufficient revenue for maintenance and reduce over-reliance on Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to subsidise the national network.
Domestic airlines such as Passion Air and Africa World Airlines are expected to see a cost impact per passenger as a result of this increased charge from January 2026.
Separately, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority’s passenger safety charge component of its Scheme of Charges remains indexed in US dollars, with international passengers currently paying around US $11.50 per ticket as part of the authority’s safety and security funding stream.
However, these moves appear to be at odds with the ECOWAS aviation policy adopted for implementation from 1 January 2026, which mandates the abolition of all air transport taxes and reductions in passenger and security charges by 25 per cent across member states.
The ECOWAS position specifically calls for the elimination of air transport taxes, which regional authorities argue constitute a disproportionate component of ticket pricing, and significant reductions in auxiliary aviation charges that suppress demand and hinder growth in intra-regional aviation markets.
The policy was adopted by ECOWAS Heads of State to reduce the high cost of flying within West Africa, facilitate free movement, boost tourism, trade and regional connectivity, and align domestic charges with international standards promoted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The introduction of a GHC 100 domestic airport charge and continued dollar-denominated safety levies therefore raise policy coherence issues within Ghana’s aviation sector as the country prepares to implement the ECOWAS framework.
Aviation stakeholders and regional policymakers will be watching closely to see whether Accra adjusts its approach ahead of the January 2026 deadline or proposes transitional arrangements to align with the sub-regional directive on aviation fees and taxes.
The unfolding policy divergence underscores the challenge of aligning national revenue-generation strategies with regional integration goals in West Africa’s evolving aviation landscape.
Ghana Aviation Policy at Odds with ECOWAS Air Travel Tax Reforms | AviationGhana
