Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mémounatou Ibrahima and other stakeholders have decried the high fares of air travel within West Africa, saying such was inimical to subregional economic growth.

They stated this at the opening session of a Delocalised Meeting of  ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee on Infrastructure, Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, on Tuesday in Lomé.

It was held to enable stakeholders and experts to brainstorm on the development and chart the way forward.

The speaker noted that there would not be free movement of people within West Africa without effective and affordable transportation, and air transport was a vital tool for regional economic development and integration.

According to her, the prohibitive airfares are obstacles to successfully implementing the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocols.

“The theme that brings us together today, ‘Air Transport as a Means of Integration for West African Peoples: A Strategy for Reducing Airline Ticket Costs,’ is of paramount importance to our community.

“It reflects a major issue facing our citizens: the prohibitive costs of air travel between our countries, which hinder the free movement of people and compromise our ambitions for regional integration.

“Therefore, there is no need to emphasise the importance of air transport in a country’s economy, especially within a sub-regional community. Indeed, air transport is an essential lever for economic development and sub-regional integration,” she said.

The speaker further said that air transport promoted trade, stimulated tourism, strengthened cultural and social ties, and contributed to the growth of member states’ economies.

She attributed the soaring air fares to multiple taxes and charges imposed across airports in the region.

She warned that the ECOWAS Vision 2050 would remain elusive without an efficient and affordable air transport system.

The parliamentarian urged her colleagues to develop strong recommendations to guide member states and relevant institutions in establishing a policy framework for more accessible regional air transport.

In his remarks, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Sédiko Douka, said that air transport fares within the West African subregion were the highest globally.

He said the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government was concerned about the situation and had mandated the commission to coordinate and harmonise member states’ air transport policies, programmes, and projects.

Vice-President of the Togolese National Assembly, Dzereke Yao, said West Africa’s air transport challenge must be urgently addressed to foster stronger economic and human connections among ECOWAS citizens.

He said prohibitive airfares undermined the region’s integration aspirations, adding that the outcome of the five-day meeting should go beyond discussions.

(NAN)