By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria earned $62 million from airline ticket taxes in 2024, according to new figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The amount formed part of the $1.97 billion collected across Africa and the $60.3 billion generated worldwide.
IATA’s data showed that although Africa contributed a small fraction of global ticket-tax revenue, countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco and Kenya played important roles due to their busy international hubs. South Africa led the continent with an estimated $410 million, followed by Egypt with $360 million and Ethiopia with $310 million.
Africa’s average tax stood at $14.9 per passenger, higher than Asia Pacific but still below North America and South America. Nearly all of the continent’s earnings came from international travel, with domestic taxes totalling only $49 million.
North America remained the global leader with $34.1 billion, driven by the world’s highest ticket-tax rates. Europe followed with $14.5 billion, while South and Central America recorded some of the highest international taxes despite lower overall traffic. The Middle East, by contrast, applied no ticket-specific taxes.
Nigeria’s contribution is expected to rise in 2025 due to the new $11.5 security levy added on December 1 under the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). The charge increased Nigeria’s total security levy to $31.50 for every international ticket issued.
According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), airlines apply the levy at the point of sale and remit it to the agency. The NCAA said the APIS system improves border control, tracks passenger movement and speeds up clearance by processing data before arrival.
