How to claim a refund of unused taxes

Who holds the money

Most passenger taxes and charges are collected by the airline when the ticket is sold. Kenya's Air Passenger Service Charge Act makes the airline's agent collect the charge ³. Tanzania's Airport Service Charge Act makes every airline and every travel agent an agent for collecting the airport service charge ⁴. In South Africa, SARS says airlines collect the Air Passenger Tax and pay SARS monthly ⁸.

So the airline or the agent that issued the ticket is the first place to ask for unused taxes back ^3,4. An Airlink spokesperson told Tourism Update in 2025 that the airline is obliged to collect the Tanzanian fee on the government's behalf ⁵.

What the African Union rules say

The AU regulations on consumers of air transport services commenced on 17 March 2017 ¹. Article 21 says a reimbursement is made within seven days, of the full cost of the ticket at the price paid, for the part or parts of the journey not made ¹. It is paid in cash, by electronic bank transfer or bank order ¹. Article 16 says passengers facing a delay must be told of their right to immediate reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket ¹.

Article 6 says an airline cannot raise the price after purchase, except when a government-imposed tax or fee goes up ¹. It bars airlines and agents from collecting taxes or fees that were not shown to the buyer ¹.

Country rules

Nigeria. Nairametrics reported on 13 October 2025 that the NCAA told domestic airlines to refund at once when the passenger paid cash and within 14 days for other payment methods ². NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Michael Achimugu said Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 remains in force, as reported ². The report said a ticket bought at least seven days before departure can be cancelled within 24 hours of purchase ².

Tanzania. Tourism Update reported on 19 August 2025 that travellers receive full refunds of the Passenger Facilitation Fee for cancelled trips or unused tickets ⁵. It reported in July 2026 that passengers involuntarily rerouted for mechanical or weather problems are exempt ⁶. The text of the Airport Service Charge Act on TanzLII has no refund provision ⁴.

Kenya. The Air Passenger Service Charge Act has no refund section ³. It exempts a passenger who returns to the airport of departure from paying again when he embarks to resume the journey ³.

Steps to claim

• Find each tax or charge and its code in the taxes box of the ticket. IATA notices name charges by code, such as AY for the USA security fee ⁷.
• Ask the airline or travel agent that sold the ticket, as they collected the charges ^3,4.
• Ask for the parts of the journey not made, and note the date of the request. The AU rules set seven days for a reimbursement ¹.
• In Nigeria, send the airline's replies to the NCAA if a refund is late, as the NCAA asked passengers to do, as reported ².

When a fee is not refunded

Rules on tax refunds differ by country. An IATA notice of 25 March 2020 on the USA security fee, code AY, shows one model ⁷. It quoted the TSA as saying carriers may offset refunds to passengers against fees they owe, and that a fee an airline does not refund to the passenger is remitted to or stays with the TSA ⁷. This site did not find a similar published rule for African charges.