ASKY CEO Cites Taxes, Fuel, Traffic Rights for High Airfares In Africa | By Dominick Andoh
High airfares across Africa remain a structural challenge driven by excessive taxes, costly fuel, weak infrastructure, and restrictive aviation policies, the Chief Executive Officer of ASKY Airlines, Mr. Esayas Woldemariam Hailu, has said.
Speaking at Day Two of the Africa Trade Summit 2026 held in Accra, Ghana, Mr. Hailu acknowledged recent efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reduce ticket-related taxes, describing the decision as a positive step toward easing the cost burden on passengers. ECOWAS, he noted, has agreed to significantly lower levies such as security charges, tourism taxes and solidarity fees that airlines collect on behalf of governments.
However, he cautioned that while the policy decision has been made, implementation across member states is yet to begin, limiting its immediate impact on ticket prices.
Beyond ticket taxes, Mr. Hailu said the most significant cost drivers facing African airlines remain largely unaddressed. These include corporate taxes imposed by individual countries, sometimes in violation of existing Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs), which are meant to provide reciprocal tax exemptions for airlines operating between signatory states.
He also highlighted the high cost of aviation fuel as a major constraint. Despite Africa being a crude oil producer, the continent exports crude and imports refined jet fuel, resulting in prices that are about twice as high as those paid by airlines in Europe. This, he said, severely undermines the competitiveness of African carriers.
Infrastructure-related costs further compound the problem. According to the ASKY CEO, many African airports require substantial refurbishment, leading to high landing, parking, overflight and ground-handling charges that are ultimately passed on to passengers.
Mr. Hailu also criticised restrictive traffic rights policies within Africa, where local airlines are often denied access to regional markets, even as carriers from Europe and the Gulf are granted extensive operating rights. These restrictions, he argued, prevent African airlines from building the critical mass needed to lower unit costs and reduce fares.
He stressed that while reforms are ongoing, Africa’s aviation ecosystem remains unconducive to growth, calling for sustained advocacy, policy harmonisation and liberalisation. Aviation, he said, is a key enabler of trade, investment and economic integration, and lowering airfares is essential to unlocking its full potential on the continent.
“ASKY stands ready to deepen its role as a connector of people, products, and potential. Together, let’s ensure that Africa’s industrial backbone
has the wings it needs to soar,” he added.
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