The International Air Transport Association has revealed that air travellers across the world paid about $60.4bn in taxes and charges in 2024. According to the airlines’ association, these taxes were added to airline fares and remitted by airline operators to governments.
IATA stated this in a post on X on Monday, highlighting the financial pressure on air passengers and airlines globally.
The IATA post reads, “Air transport passengers paid $60.4bn in ticket taxes and charges in 2024. These taxes, added to airline fares, are collected by carriers and passed on to governments.”
In Nigeria, passengers are currently grappling with astronomical increases in ticket prices, particularly on routes to the South-South and South-East. Flights from Lagos and Abuja to cities such as Asaba, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Benin, Owerri, Uyo and others have risen steeply.
It will be recalled that The PUNCH earlier reported how fares for domestic travel have stood at over N300,000. This was affirmed by our correspondent’s checks across major Nigerian airlines’ websites.
Air Peace fares for December travel showed Lagos–Asaba tickets selling for over N350,000, with passengers expressing rude shock.
United Nigeria Airlines fares were also significantly high.
A one-way trip from either Lagos or Abuja spiked considerably, ranging between N300,000 and N400,000.
Across the board, other domestic carriers have increased fares on these routes, making travel to the South-South and South-East among the most expensive this Yuletide season, with economy-class seats used as the benchmark for the checks.
Amid these concerns, the Managing Director of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, criticised the growing number of taxes imposed on airlines and passengers across Africa.
He argued that excessive taxation undermines regional connectivity and contradicts the continent’s aspirations under the Single African Air Transport Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
He said, “African governments and their agencies keep piling on more taxes on the industry, making flying regionally out of reach for the generality of Africans… Instead of hundreds of dollars per passenger in taxes and fees, they can reduce these to $20–$30 per passenger. Instead of viewing aviation as a revenue-generating industry, governments should prioritise funding aviation infrastructure.
He warned that the current approach stifles airline growth, shrinks passenger numbers, and offers little improvement in infrastructure, adding: “We remain small and keep killing our airlines… Na wa!”
Responding to this, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, clarified that no aviation regulator in Nigeria has the power to control airfare pricing.
He explained that fares are shaped by market forces, seasons, and rising operational costs, noting that price spikes during the festive period occur across many sectors, including road transport and real estate.
Achimugu said, “Is any of this fair? I would say no. But we cannot regulate airfares… If it were possible to force it down, we would do so. But we cannot.”
He emphasised that only increased competition, reduced taxes, stable fuel prices, and improved economic conditions could lower ticket costs. He also noted that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is working on measures to address the situation.
Despite empathising with the public, he maintained that the NCAA lacks the authority to compel airlines to reduce their prices.
