African leaders and aviation officials called for immediate cuts to aviation taxes and fuel costs to boost connectivity, trade and economic integration across the continent, speaking at the African Air Transport Convention & Expo 2026 in Lome on Monday.
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, warned that policy agreements are ‘useless’ if citizens remain priced out.
“Opening up African skies is necessary, but an open sky can, in practice, remain difficult to access if airline tickets remain too expensive,” Gnassingbe said. “An overpriced ticket <…> is a real barrier for entrepreneurs, tourism and families.”
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame criticised the high taxes and bureaucratic hurdles choking intra-African flight routes.
“Taxes and fees on air travel in Africa are among the highest in the world,” he stressed, adding, “A single market works best when rules and standards are predictable and consistent.”
Aviation officials noted that lowering prices to achieve true regional connectivity requires tackling energy dependencies and a lack of market competition.
“Apart from Nigeria, which has started to do so thanks to Mr [Aliko] Dangote, we do not produce aviation fuel. Jet fuel is imported,” said Abdou Ahabou Idrissou, Director General of the Togo Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC).
The five-day summit, which runs until June 19 under the theme ‘One African Sky’, aims to move the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) from rhetoric to execution, bringing together more than 500 delegates, including transport ministers and airline executives.
Source: Viory
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