Last Friday, transport ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Lomé, Togo to discuss ways to reduce air transport costs in the region.

The main objective of this meeting was to find solutions to alleviate tax burdens on passengers, as in many West African countries, taxes and fees often represent more than half the price of an airline ticket. L'objectif de la réduction d The costs of air transport is to transform the aviation sector into a strategic driver of integration and development in West Africa. Thus, the cost reduction could become, according to the Togolese Minister of Public Works, Sani Yaya, a major lever for socio-economic development, by facilitating trade and mobility within West Africa. This approach could stimulate the growth of the African aviation sector, by promoting the creation of regional companies and the increase of trade, stressing that Africa represents only 2% of global air traffic and that European companies dominate intra-African routes