Sierra Leone Yet to Lower Air Travel Costs Despite ECOWAS Directive

Sierra Leone has failed to lower air travel costs, despite a binding directive from West African leaders aimed at making flights in the region cheaper. Speaking at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS summit, regional leaders revealed that only Côte d’Ivoire has successfully abolished the required aviation taxes. Sierra Leone where airline ticket taxes rank among the highest in Africa, reaching up to 300 US dollars was explicitly instructed to expedite legislative changes to scrap its Foreign Travel Tax and slash passenger security charges by 25 percent.
Although Sierra Leone’s parliament ratified the relevant agreements in February, domestic implementation has ground to a halt. High aviation taxes currently make up nearly half the cost of a plane ticket across West Africa, severely bottlenecking trade, tourism, and regional integration. However, aviation experts warn that Sierra Leone faces unique structural hurdles; the nation’s newly constructed 270-million-dollar airport terminal operates on a private cost-recovery model that relies heavily on passenger fees, while low flight volumes continue to keep fares high.