The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at FAAN-managed airports, following the resolution of concerns surrounding the regulation and management of e-hailing services within the airport environment.
The development brings an end to a period of disruption that left passengers facing limited transportation options and higher fares, while FAAN and e-hailing operators worked to establish a sustainable framework for airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
In a statement, FAAN apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused and thanked them for their patience and understanding during the period of negotiations.
The Authority said its concerns over commercial and e-hailing vehicles at its airports predated the recent dispute, noting that it had spent nearly a decade addressing issues including passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups, unregulated operations and broader safety, security and accountability concerns.
According to FAAN, the growing number of drivers operating across multiple platforms has also made it increasingly important to improve the monitoring and management of commercial transportation within airport premises.
It was against this backdrop that FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), a queue and transportation management platform designed to bring greater structure, visibility and accountability to authorised airport car-hire operations.
FAAN stressed that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing platform and was not created to compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility companies. Rather, its role is to manage airport car-hire ranks and the authorised services operating within them.
The Authority also clarified concerns surrounding airport taxi fares, explaining that the rates highlighted during the recent controversy were not newly imposed by FAAN or introduced by ACHRAMS. The fares had existed independently of the system, although ACHRAMS provided greater visibility of the prevailing airport-taxi rates.
The disclosure, however, came against the backdrop of passengers being accustomed to comparatively lower fares offered through e-hailing platforms, making the difference more noticeable when those services were temporarily unavailable.
FAAN acknowledged the concerns raised by passengers over increased transportation costs and the inconvenience caused by the disruption, saying it had listened to the feedback and made the necessary adjustments.
“While the Authority’s actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests, FAAN acknowledges that the immediate impact on passengers was significant,” the Authority said.
Following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have now reached an operational agreement, with the e-hailing company cleared to immediately resume services at airports managed by the Authority.
FAAN said the agreement demonstrates that airport security and regulatory requirements can be maintained without sacrificing the convenience and choice offered by e-hailing services.
The Authority added that discussions with other e-hailing operators are ongoing and expressed confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved in the coming days.
With the resolution, passengers will once again have access to a wider range of transportation options when travelling through FAAN-managed airports, while operators will be expected to comply with the agreed framework governing airport transportation.
FAAN reiterated that its objective is not to restrict competition or create a monopoly in airport transportation, but to ensure that all authorised services operate within a safe, secure, orderly and accountable environment.
The Authority said passenger safety, security, convenience and the overall airport experience would remain central to its decisions as it continues to modernise the management of ground transportation across Nigeria’s airports.
