• ECOWAS is proposing a regional digital platform for passengers to file and track complaints online.
• The plan also includes faster compensation mechanisms and alternative dispute resolution tools.
• Many passengers in Africa still receive no compensation for delays, cancellations, or baggage damage.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is recommending a series of measures aimed at strengthening air passenger rights across the regional bloc. The proposals emerged from a consultative workshop held last week in Abidjan.

Among the key recommendations is the creation of a regional digital platform that would allow travelers from ECOWAS member states to file and track complaints online in real time.

The system would be paired with a structured compensation mechanism designed to ensure faster payouts in cases of major flight disruptions. ECOWAS officials also propose establishing an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to handle passenger claims more efficiently.

The idea is to give travelers quick, free, and out-of-court avenues to resolve disputes. Mediation, conciliation, and arbitration procedures could help avoid lengthy and costly legal battles.

These tools are presented as a more reliable way to handle disputes related to flight delays and cancellations, lost or damaged baggage, and other compensation claims. The proposals come as service quality across several airlines and airport platforms on the continent has deteriorated, often leaving passengers without compensation.

Many passengers receive no compensation

Data from other parts of Africa highlights the scale of the issue. Last October, the Competition Commission of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) released the results of a survey covering 141 consumers and 350 complaints.

The study found that about 31.7% of respondents reported flight delays. Other common complaints included schedule changes and baggage damage. According to the survey, 71.6% of passengers said they had received no compensation.

Some industry experts argue that airlines alone should not bear the full burden of passenger compensation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has criticized current regulatory models governing passenger rights.

Its director general, Willie Walsh, said it is “absurd” to expect airlines to compensate passengers for disruptions that may be caused by other factors, including failures in air traffic control systems, strikes by non-airline personnel, or insufficient airport infrastructure.

For now, ECOWAS’s initiative remains a recommendation rather than a binding rule. Its implementation could face technical and political hurdles, as seen with the bloc’s plan to cut air ticket prices in the region by 40%.

That plan—which includes eliminating certain aviation taxes and reducing passenger and security charges by 25%—has struggled to move forward even though it was supposed to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Henoc Dossa