A Liberian traveler, Delmas Ella Massaley, has sparked debate online after denouncing what she calls “ridiculous” airport taxes attached to a short regional flight between Accra, Ghana, and Monrovia, Liberia.
Massaley shared a screenshot of her ASKY Airlines booking showing a total fare of $669.50 for a one-way flight scheduled for January 10, 2026.
The fare breakdown revealed that only $191 covered the actual ticket, while more than $478 consisted of taxes and fees.
According to the fare summary, the charges included an Airport Service Fee (Liberia) of $85, a Passenger Service Charge (Ghana) of $60, a Safety and Security Fee (Liberia) of $30, a Ticket Tax (Liberia) of $50, and a Fuel Fee of $22, among others. An additional $206 appeared simply as “Airport Tax.”
In her post, Massaley lamented that the taxes alone were “more than double the actual flight cost.” She wrote, “The actual ticket price is $191 USD, but Liberia airport taxes are over $400. A two-hour flight should never cost more than $600. It’s insane.”
She questioned how airport authorities could justify such steep fees, arguing they do not reflect the quality of services offered. “The airport is even charging for the cart services? I remember paying 50–100 LD for that,” she said. “Wahala! Even the fuel tax is absurd.”
The Monrovia-based traveler argued that the total fare should be closer to $250 round trip, calling current prices “complete scamming.” Her remarks quickly resonated with other regional travelers who voiced similar frustrations over West Africa’s notoriously high airfares.
Massaley contend that such policies make air travel inaccessible for most citizens.
“How can people travel for business or emergencies when the taxes alone are this high?” she asked. “It’s like they don’t want people to fly.”
Liberia’s Roberts International Airport has long faced criticism for its poor infrastructure and slow modernization despite hefty service fees.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport,
though recently upgraded, also maintains high user charges.
Short-haul flights within West Africa remain among the most expensive in the world relative to distance, with some regional fares rivaling or exceeding those for transcontinental routes.
Massaley’s viral post highlights a growing public demand for transparency in how airport fees are calculated and spent. For now, however, many travelers see regional air travel as a luxury rather than a necessity.
Massaley put it bluntly, “The airport tax is more than the ticket price. This shouldn’t be normal. We deserve better.”
