The aviation industry has long been a critical sector for global economic activity, connecting people, goods, and services across countries.
However, this sector is also heavily impacted by various taxes and fees levied by governments, airports, and other stakeholders. These taxes and charges significantly shape airlines’ operational costs but have a massive influence
on ticket pricing, profitability, and passenger demand.
The aviation sector is subject to various taxes, fees and charges, which are categorized into several key areas: fuel taxes, passenger service charges, security fees, airport landing and take-off fees, and environmental taxes, among others. These charges are typically designed to generate revenue for governments and airport authorities, fund infrastructure development, ensure safety and security and, address the environmental effect of aviation but, in turn, significantly affect passenger traffic, given the existence of other modes of transport.
In 2024, the industry continues to grapple with increased financial burdens due to a variety of taxes, fees and charge structures
imposed by governments worldwide. As the aviation market recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have reintroduced
and even raised taxes to offset fiscal deficits, leading to higher operating costs for airlines.
Additionally, environmental taxes have gained prominence as part of broader global efforts to address climate change.
This study reviews in detail the level of taxes, charges and fees collected on air tickets and
paid by the final passengers in each African country, highlighting the differences between regional and intercontinental travel.
The study also highlights a comparison of Africa with 2 (two) neighboring regions, Europe and the Middle east. All the figures in
this report represent the sum of taxes and charges collected in September 2024 according to IATAACIC.