The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to immediately resume its e-hailing services at airports managed by the authority, following engagements aimed at resolving concerns over airport taxi operations and rising transportation costs.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had earlier directed FAAN to urgently address the sharp increase in taxi fares at the nation’s airports.
In a statement issued following the resolution, FAAN said it had reached an “agreeable operational framework” with Bolt, allowing the e-hailing company to commence operations at FAAN-managed airports.
The authority explained that the recent disruption to e-hailing services followed efforts to establish a sustainable framework for the operation of such services within the airport environment.
According to FAAN, it had been working for nearly a decade to address challenges associated with commercial and e-hailing vehicles at airports, including passenger solicitation, touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups and concerns relating to safety, security and accountability.
It said these challenges necessitated stronger management and monitoring of commercial transportation services within airports.
FAAN also clarified the purpose of its Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), describing it as a queue-management and airport transportation management system designed to bring structure, visibility and accountability to authorised airport car-hire services.
The authority stressed that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was not designed to compete with Uber, Bolt or other mobility platforms.
“FAAN supports healthy competition and does not seek to create or promote a monopoly in airport transportation,” the authority said.
FAAN further clarified that the airport taxi fares that generated public concern were not newly imposed by the authority or introduced by ACHRAMS.
It explained that the fares had existed independently of the system and were not substantially different from rates that had previously applied.
According to FAAN, ACHRAMS merely made the prevailing airport taxi rates more visible to passengers, thereby drawing greater attention to the difference between those fares and the lower rates passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms.
The authority acknowledged the concerns expressed by travellers over the increased transportation costs and inconvenience caused by the temporary interruption of e-hailing services.
FAAN apologised to passengers for the difficulties experienced during the period, saying it had listened to the concerns, reflected on them and made the necessary adjustments.
It maintained that its actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests, but acknowledged that the immediate impact on passengers had been significant.
With the latest resolution, Bolt has now been cleared to resume operations at FAAN-managed airports.
FAAN said the agreement demonstrated that airport security and integrity could be protected while preserving passengers’ convenience and freedom of choice.
The authority added that it remained engaged with other e-hailing operators and expressed confidence that outstanding discussions with them would be concluded in the coming days.
FAAN reiterated that passengers remained free to choose from available transportation options, while the authority’s responsibility was to ensure that authorised services operated in a safe, secure, orderly and accountable environment.
The development follows growing public concern over airport transportation costs after e-hailing services were temporarily disrupted at Nigerian airports.
