The International Air Transport Association has identified Nigeria alongside Angola, Ghana, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as African countries where aviation taxes and charges significantly exceed international norms, renewing calls for African governments to reduce the cost burden choking regional air connectivity and suppressing passenger demand across the continent.
IATA made the disclosure at its Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, where it revealed that aviation charges in Africa were on average approximately 15 percent higher than the global benchmark, a persistent disparity the association said was keeping ticket prices artificially elevated, deterring air travel, and weakening Africa’s regional aviation ecosystem.
The body specifically urged African governments to stop imposing Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record charges, warning that such levies were compounding an already expensive operating environment. It noted that while Tanzania currently imposed the world’s highest API-PNR charge at $45 per one-way trip, Nigeria and several other African countries also maintained charges above global standards.
For Nigeria, the latest IATA assessment reinforces growing concerns about the cumulative weight of multiple aviation levies. The country generated approximately $62 million from airline ticket taxes in 2024 and subsequently introduced an additional $11.50 security levy under its Advance Passenger Information System effective December 2025, bringing total security-related charges on international tickets to $31.50.
IATA also called for the full implementation of the December 2025 decision by the Economic Community of West African States to eliminate certain aviation taxes and reduce select charges by 25 percent, warning that inconsistent implementation by member states would undermine the reform’s intended impact on the region’s aviation competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Air Peace has clarified that a bird strike caused the cancellation of its Lagos to London Gatwick flight on May 1, 2026, pushing back against social media accounts that it said misrepresented the sequence of events and the airline’s response.
The airline said the aircraft was immediately grounded for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards following the bird strike, and that all affected passengers were promptly informed and provided with hotel accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in London Gatwick. It acknowledged delays in baggage retrieval caused by airport congestion and ground handling constraints but firmly denied that passengers were abandoned or left without communication and care.
“At no point were passengers abandoned. Communication was maintained with all affected passengers, and every effort was made to ensure their welfare throughout the disruption,” the airline stated, adding that all passengers were offered hotel accommodation and that a replacement aircraft was being arranged to complete the service.
