Airport cab operators have appealed for more time to comply with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) vehicle upgrade policy, warning that the October deadline could put more than 300 jobs at risk.
The operators, representing 17 licensed car-hire companies, said the cost of replacing vehicles manufactured before 2012 had made it difficult for many businesses to meet the requirement before the October 1, 2026 deadline.
Chairman of the Airport Cab Operators, Prince Amosola, said operators were not opposed to upgrading their fleets but needed a longer transition period to raise the funds required to replace their vehicles.
According to him, a 2012 vehicle currently costs between N15 million and N18 million, while electric vehicles under consideration by some operators could cost about N38 million.
Amosola said each of the 17 companies operated more than 50 vehicles, but FAAN had also directed them to reduce their fleets to 30 vehicles per company as part of the new operating requirements.
“We have nothing less than 50 cars for each company times 17 companies. And finally, they are telling us that we should bring it down to 30 cars from each company,” he said.
He said the operators had appealed to FAAN and other relevant authorities for additional time, arguing that the replacement programme should be implemented gradually to prevent businesses from shutting down and workers from losing their livelihoods.
The operators also said they had been exploring electric vehicles following discussions with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, but maintained that the acquisition cost remained beyond the reach of many companies.
Other operators said the economics of airport cab operations made the immediate replacement of vehicles particularly difficult. Ekwuemeaku Alex of Edom Comfort Auto Lease Ltd said drivers could earn between N20,000 and N25,000 from a trip, but that fuel and other operating expenses could reduce their take-home income to about N10,000.
He said airport taxi operators also faced a different business model from e-hailing companies because they often returned to the airport without passengers after dropping customers in the city.
“We only have one trip, just to town. We don’t have any other business to do in town. When we drop the passenger, we come back empty,” Alex said.
Alhaji Sulieman Maman of Leviticus Auto Car Service Ltd said operators supported the principle of fleet renewal but objected to what they described as the abrupt implementation of the requirement.
He said previous changes to vehicle standards had been introduced gradually, giving operators time to dispose of older vehicles and acquire replacements.
Maman also alleged that the addition of more cab companies had increased competition for a limited pool of airport passengers.
Aliu Abdulazee Aliu of Gentle Drive said some operators had acquired their existing vehicles through hire-purchase arrangements and would find it difficult to take on another vehicle costing as much as N18 million.
The Secretary-General of the Coalition of 17 Car-Hire Companies, Emmanuel Ikeh Sunday, said operators had also raised concerns about vehicles converted under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative, arguing that an immediate age-based replacement requirement could undermine investments already made under the scheme.
The operators further complained about increases in airport-related cab charges, including an operational tariff they said had risen from N500 to N1,500.
FAAN, however, has said the tariff adjustment followed more than eight years without a review, during which inflation and operating costs had increased.
The authority has also maintained that the vehicle upgrade policy is intended to improve passenger safety, comfort and service quality. FAAN said the requirement had been communicated to operators since July 2024 and that several extensions, including deadlines in January and June 2026, had already been granted before the October deadline.
The authority has warned that operators that fail to meet the vehicle requirements could lose access to airport operations. It has also clarified that its engagement is directly with registered corporate cab companies rather than third-party unions or associations.
With the deadline now approaching, the operators are seeking further discussions with FAAN and a longer transition period, saying immediate enforcement could leave businesses with stranded vehicle investments while affecting drivers and other workers who depend on airport cab operations.
