Airport Taxi Operators Seek Extension Of FAAN Vehicle Upgrade Deadline
Airport taxi operators have appealed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to extend the October deadline for the mandatory replacement of vehicles manufactured from 2012, saying the policy could force many small operators out of business.
The operators, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said the cost of acquiring vehicles that meet the new requirements, estimated at between N15 million and N18 million for some models, was beyond the financial capacity of many drivers and small car-hire companies.
The Chairman of the airport cab operators, Prince Amao Sola, said operators were not opposed to the upgrade but needed additional time to mobilise funds for the replacement of their vehicles.
He said, “We have been struggling to acquire vehicles that meet the requirement, putting the cost of some replacement cars at between N15 million and N18 million.”
FAAN introduced the vehicle upgrade directive in 2024 as part of measures to improve safety, comfort and service delivery at the nation’s airports. The Authority subsequently extended the compliance deadline to January 2026, and later to June, before setting October as the proposed final deadline.
However, the operators said the cost of replacing their vehicles was difficult to recover from the limited number of airport passengers and the high cost of operating airport taxi services.
Another operator, Ekwuemeaku Alex of Edom Comfort Auto Lease Ltd, said operators could charge between N20,000 and N25,000 for a trip, but their actual earnings were significantly lower after fuel and other operational expenses.
He explained that some drivers could wait for several days before getting passengers, making it difficult to generate enough income to finance new vehicles.
Aliu Abdulazee Aliu of Gentle Drive also said operators who acquired their existing vehicles through hire-purchase arrangements were particularly affected because the cost of the vehicles could be significantly higher under such arrangements.
According to him, a typical airport-to-town trip costing about N25,000 could consume between N15,000 and N17,000 in fuel for the journey and return, while FAAN charges an additional N1,500 operational fee.
After expenses for vehicle washing, maintenance and repairs, Aliu said an operator could be left with only about N4,000 from the fare.
The operators therefore argued that purchasing vehicles worth up to N18 million would take considerable time to recover under the prevailing business conditions.
Their concerns have also been compounded by FAAN’s increase in the airport cab operational tariff from N500 to N1,500. The Authority had explained that the previous charge had remained unchanged for more than eight years despite inflation, rising maintenance costs and other economic pressures.
FAAN, however, has maintained that the vehicle upgrade policy is aimed at ensuring that airport passengers have access to clean, roadworthy and comfortable vehicles, rather than restricting operators from doing business.
The operators said they had also explored the possibility of switching to electric vehicles following discussions with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, but found the cost prohibitive, with some electric vehicles reportedly priced between N38 million and N60 million.
The Secretary-General of the Coalition of 17 Car-Hire Companies, Emmanuel Ikeh Sunday, said the operators had also invested heavily in vehicles converted under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative.
He disclosed that about 80 per cent of their vehicles had been converted to CNG, while more than 99 per cent of the vehicles covered by the scheme did not meet the 2012-and-above requirement.
Ikeh said forcing such vehicles out of airport operations before operators had recovered their investments would impose another financial burden on the sector.
The operators consequently appealed to FAAN for a longer transition period, which would allow them to continue using their existing vehicles while gradually replacing them with compliant models.
They said they were willing to meet the new vehicle standards but urged the airport authority to align the implementation timeline with the financial capacity of small operators and drivers.
They also called for comparable operating conditions for traditional airport taxis, car-hire companies and e-hailing services, saying the objective should be to improve service standards without pushing existing operators out of the industry.
