Lome Declaration: Experts Push for Cheaper Air Travel across Africa

African ministers have adopted the Lome Declaration, a significant commitment aimed at transforming air travel across the continent into a more accessible, connected, affordable, and sustainable service. The declaration, along with its implementation matrix, was adopted in Lome, Togo, on June 16, 2026, marking a crucial step towards boosting intra-African connectivity.

Africa suffers from the lowest air connectivity globally, which hinders intra-state trade and economic development. The Lome Declaration is designed to dismantle the structural and regulatory obstacles that have long suppressed demand and limited economic growth. It reinforces commitments to the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Yamoussoukro Decision, positioning aviation as a vital engine for trade, tourism, and regional integration.

Ministers at the African Aviation Convention highlighted that excessive taxes, fees, and government charges artificially inflate air travel costs, weakening route viability. The declaration also aims to address the stalled implementation of SAATM, which has been hampered by restrictive market access, protectionism, and fragmented bilateral agreements. High operational costs for airlines, stemming from administrative bottlenecks and a lack of competition in ground handling, further exacerbate the issue.

The Lome Declaration signals a new era of accountability for aviation reform in Africa. It was adopted under the leadership of the African Civil Aviation Commission, with support from the African Union Commission, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Ministers underscored that air transport is a strategic enabler for continental integration, trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people connectivity, warning that persistent barriers continue to limit the sector's growth.

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air transport is a strategic enabler of continental integration, trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people connectivity.