Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved higher compensation rate for passengers affected by flight cancellations or delays within its member states.
Gatekeepers News reports that this decision was made during the ECOWAS Sixty-Sixth Ordinary Summit, which was chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
The communique from the summit highlighted the significant negative effects that high air transport costs have on the development of the region’s aviation sector, as well as the broader objectives of economic growth and regional integration.
To address these challenges and alleviate the burden of air transport costs within the community, ECOWAS has adopted a supplementary Act to enhance the existing regional common policy governing aviation charges, taxes, and fees.
“The Authority also endorses the regional strategy which includes, among others, a 25% reduction of passenger and security charges and the removal of taxes applied to air transport, in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) principles and procedures on Taxes, Fees and Charges, which prohibits taxing of air transport services based on the non-relatedness, transparent and related pricing principles,” the communique reads.
“To ensure a holistic improvement of the region’s air transport industry, the Authority also approves the Regulation establishing a common framework for Aviation Security and the increased rate of compensation for passengers who are denied boarding of flights through an amendment of Article 4 of the Supplementary Act on delayed boarding, flight cancellations and denied boarding.
“The authority directs ministers in-charge of Air Transport and the Commission to coordinate and monitor the effective and uniform application of the Supplementary Acts and Regulations in all Member States, while ensuring that Airlines also comply with cost reduction obligations to ensure that ticket prices reflect the reductions to benefit all Community citizens and populations.”
In the communique, ECOWAS commended the progress made in completing the technical engineering designs and other preparatory arrangements for the construction of the 1028-kilometre (km) Abidjan-Lagos corridor highway.
“The Authority further commends the progress made in completing the financial and technical studies for the Praia-Dakar Shipping and Maritime Link and the alignment definition of the Dakar-Abidjan Highway,” the communique added.
The authority said it was aware of the consultations initiated with the African Development Bank (AfDB), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, and other partners to raise the investment finance required to construct the highway and establish the shipping line.
ECOWAS also directed the commission to undertake extensive resource drives with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and AfDB to raise private and public financing for implementation mobilisation.
