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African air passengers taxed disproportionately: Report

Jul 2, 2025, 8:28am EDT
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Passengers wait at a closed door at the departures of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images

Air travel passengers pay more in taxes to fly from Africa than counterparts departing from Europe or the Middle East, a report by the African Airlines Association showed.

The average amount of taxes, charges, and fees for international departures from Africa is $68, twice the average for both Europe and the Middle East. Africa’s air transport industry is not profitable, the airline group said, in part because of the high levels of taxes and charges that civil aviation authorities levy on airlines.

“Air transport is perceived as a luxury service across the continent,” the group said, a factor that leads governments, airports, and service providers to “overcharge airlines even though many need help to survive.” It called for tax structures to be harmonized between countries to reduce excessive charges, and for authorities to seek out “alternative funding methods for aviation infrastructure.”

A chart showing the highest international departures taxes
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