Why flying in Nigeria is so expensive and who is actually to blame

• IATA says Nigerians pay some of the highest airfares globally due to excessive aviation charges.

• Over 50 taxes and fees from multiple government agencies significantly inflate ticket prices.

• Experts argue that government policies, not airlines, are the main drivers of high costs.

A lot of Nigerians have lamented, and reasonably so, that the cost of flying is excessively high. A new report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed what many passengers have long suspected, that Nigerians are paying more than most of the world.

At its Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, IATA named Nigeria alongside Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, and Kenya as countries where aviation-related charges exceed global norms. 

Across Africa, aviation charges are on average about 15% higher than the global average, a burden that continues to inflate ticket prices, suppress passenger demand, and weaken regional air connectivity.

Contrary to popular belief, airlines are not the primary culprit. The cost of a Nigerian flight ticket is shaped largely by government agencies and the charges they impose, many of which passengers never see itemised.

1. 54 separate charges, fees and taxes: Spread across four government agencies, including the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, and FIRS. Only six of these levies are directly visible to passengers.

2. A 5% Ticket Sales Charge: Collected by the NCAA on every ticket sold, domestic or international.

3. A $31.50 Security Charge: This is placed on every international ticket. Nigeria introduced an additional $11.5 levy under its Advance Passenger Information System effective December 1, 2025, bringing the total security-related charge to $31.50 per international trip.

4. API-PNR Charges: Which IATA has specifically flagged as above global norms, are fees tied to passenger data systems that governments are increasingly using as revenue streams, contrary to international standards.

5. Landing charges, parking fees, en route charges, terminal navigation fees, and corporate income tax on profits above N100 million, all of which airlines pay and ultimately pass on to passengers.

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When all is added up, these charges can contribute significantly to the cost of a domestic ticket, and go as high as an extra $150 or $180 on international fares, making Nigerian tickets among the most expensive in the world relative to income levels.

Using Ethiopia as an example, the contrast is instructive. Rather than treating aviation as a tax collection opportunity, the Ethiopian government has long positioned Ethiopian Airlines as a strategic national asset, investing in infrastructure, keeping government-imposed charges competitive, and allowing the airline to reinvest revenues into fleet expansion and route development. 

The result is one of Africa's most profitable carriers, serving over 125 destinations globally and driving billions in tourism and trade revenue. Nigeria's approach has been the opposite: multiple agencies, multiple charges, and an airline industry that earns little in profit on domestic routes despite elevated fares.

IATA's position emphasises that African governments have been treating aviation as a revenue source rather than an economic infrastructure. The prosperity aviation generates, IATA argues, allows governments to drive development far more durably than any tax collected from travellers.

In December 2025, ECOWAS agreed to eliminate certain aviation taxes and reduce select charges by 25%. Nigeria is a signatory. IATA has since stressed that full implementation at the national level, without further delay, is critical. Whether that actually happens is a different question.

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