The International Air Transport Association, IATA, has implored African governments to review their airport taxes and charges to attract more airlines into the continent, stating that airport charges and taxes in Africa were the highest in the world.
IATA’s Vice President, Africa, Mr Raphael Kuuchi, in an online interview with the Nation, said a reduction of the charges would attract more players into the sector, create jobs and enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the countries.
He said an IATA study of 12 African countries two years ago showed that a downward review of the charges could create about 155,000 additional jobs in the countries surveyed, and add $1.3billion to the GDP of 12 countries.
Kuuchi said it was for these reasons that IATA engaged some African governments for a review. He listed the charges to include: ground rent, landing and parking fees, service recovery charge, navigation charges and fuel surcharge; adding that there was the need to review the levy on aviation fuel, which has a negative impact on airlines’ operating costs.
He said the price of aviation fuel is high in Africa – above the global average of $1.3, adding that it is between $2 and $3.7, more than twice the global average.
The IATA scribe noted that some African governments were raising revenues from their aviation sector through charges, advising them to imbibe the model in the developed world, where governments were building new airports to accelerate the growth of air transportation.
