IATA Lists Nigeria Among African Countries with Aviation Charges Above Global Average

. Air Peace clarifies Gatwick-Lagos flight disruption over bird strike

Ejiofor Alike and Chinedu Eze

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has listed Nigeria among African countries where aviation taxes and charges were significantly above global benchmarks, as the global body renewed its concerns over the rising cost of air travel across the continent.

This is just as Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace, has shed light on the incident involving its Lagos-Gatwick, London flight on May 1, 2026, which led to the flight’s eventual cancellation, and has blamed the disruption on a bird strike.

According to a Nairametrics report, IATA made the disclosure at its Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where it said Nigeria, alongside Angola, Ghana, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, were among countries imposing aviation-related charges well above international norms.

According to IATA, aviation charges in Africa were, on average, about 15 per cent higher than the global average, a development it said continued to inflate ticket prices, suppress passenger demand, and weaken regional air connectivity.

The association noted that the elevated cost environment had sustained long-standing concerns over the competitiveness of African aviation, particularly in West Africa, where travellers and airlines faced some of the heaviest cost burdens on the continent.

IATA specifically urged African governments to reverse the growing trend of imposing Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) charges, warning that such levies were worsening the continent’s already expensive operating climate.

It noted that while Tanzania currently has the world’s highest API-PNR charge at $45 one-way, Nigeria and several other African countries also imposed charges above global standards.

The body further called for full implementation of the December 2025 decision by the Economic Community of West African States to eliminate certain aviation taxes and reduce select charges by 25 per cent, stressing that delayed or inconsistent implementation by member states could undermine the reform’s intended impact.

For Nigeria, the latest IATA warning reinforces concerns over the cumulative burden of multiple aviation levies. The country generated about $62 million from airline ticket taxes in 2024 and introduced an additional $11.50 security levy under its Advance Passenger Information System effective December 2025, pushing total security-related charges on international tickets to $31.50.

Meanwhile, in a statement signed by Air Peace, the airline explained that when the bird strike incident happened, it informed the passengers and provided accommodation for them at the Hilton Hotel in Gatwick, London.

“The affected flight experienced a bird strike, which is a recognised ‘force majeure’ incident in aviation, necessitating the immediate grounding of the aircraft for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards. At Air Peace, safety is non-negotiable, and we would never operate an aircraft without the required safety clearance.

“Following this development, affected passengers were promptly informed of the incident and the cancellation of the service, and arrangements were made for their comfort, including hotel accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in London, Gatwick, as well as necessary transit coordination.”

Air Peace further explained that it faced another challenge when the passengers could not retrieve their bags from the baggage handlers in time.

“However, we encountered additional operational constraints, including airport congestion and delays from ground handling services responsible for baggage retrieval. These factors affected the timely retrieval of passengers’ checked baggage, which in turn impacted the speed at which some passengers were transferred to their hotels.

Air Peace further stated that those who made videos to explain what happened did not represent the facts, as the video claimed, because the passengers were not left without communication, as the video claimed, and were provided with provisions and necessary care in accordance with standard regulations.

The airline added, “At no point were passengers abandoned. Communication was maintained with all affected passengers, and every effort was made to ensure their welfare throughout the disruption. We can confirm that all passengers were offered hotel accommodation at the Hilton London Gatwick, and those who elected to accept have now been accommodated, while we finalise arrangements for the deployment of another aircraft to complete the service.”