Airport charges and government taxes pushes up the cost of air travel across Africa, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with passengers on the continent paying significantly more in aviation charges than travellers in many other parts of the world.
According to IATA, aviation taxes and charges in Africa are about 15 per cent higher than the global average. The association said the higher operating cost is one of the factors contributing to expensive airfares across the continent.
IATA’s data shows that international passengers departing African airports pay an average of about US$68 in taxes and charges. By comparison, passengers travelling through airports in Europe and the Middle East pay between $30 and $34 on average.
The difference is wider in parts of West Africa, where departure taxes exceed US$100 in some markets. The charges are added to other airport-related fees and increase the total cost of travelling within and outside the continent.
Among the charges paid by airlines are passenger service charges, landing fees, parking charges, navigational charges, terminal charges and security-related fees. Airlines include many of these costs in ticket prices paid by passengers.
According to IATA, African airlines also operate in one of the world’s most expensive aviation environments. Besides airport charges, airlines face high fuel costs and other operating expenses that are above the global average in many African markets.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) said taxes, fees and airport charges account for between 40 and 74 per cent of ticket prices on some intra-African routes. The association said the high level of charges makes air travel more expensive and limits efforts to improve connectivity across the continent.
AFRAA has also said expensive air travel discourages passenger traffic and makes it difficult for airlines to open new routes or increase flight frequencies, despite demand for air services in many African countries.
IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi, said lowering aviation taxes and charges would “help lower the cost of air travel, stimulate passenger traffic and improve the competitiveness of airlines operating within West Africa.”
He said reducing the cost of doing business would allow airlines to expand services, improve connectivity and support the long-term growth of Africa’s aviation industry.
