FAAN Clears Bolt To Resume Operations At Nigerian Airports

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared e-hailing platform Bolt to resume operations at airports managed by the authority.

FAAN announced the development on Thursday following constructive engagements with Bolt to establish an acceptable operational framework for e-hailing services at the nation’s airports.

The decision comes amid public concerns over the temporary disruption of e-hailing services and the cost of airport transportation, particularly following the introduction of the authority’s Airport Car-Hire Management System (ACHRAMS).

The controversy intensified after a travel content creator, Chris Joondeph, popularly known as “Authentic Travelling,” shared a video on TikTok in which he said he was quoted N30,000 for a trip from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja.

Acknowledging the concerns raised by passengers, FAAN apologised for the inconvenience caused by the temporary interruption of e-hailing services.

The authority said its initial actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests.

“FAAN is aware of and deeply appreciates the concerns expressed by passengers over the increased cost and inconvenience experienced during the temporary interruption of e-hailing services,” the authority said.

FAAN added that it had listened to the concerns and made the necessary adjustments.

“The authority is therefore pleased to announce that, following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately,” it said.

The authority also clarified that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was not created to compete with platforms such as Bolt and Uber.

According to FAAN, ACHRAMS is designed solely to manage airport car-hire ranks and regulate authorised operations associated with them.

The agency maintained that it supports healthy competition and has no intention of creating or promoting a monopoly in airport transportation.

FAAN further explained that airport taxi fares existed before the introduction of ACHRAMS and that the rates had not changed substantially.

It said the system merely provided greater visibility and transparency regarding existing airport taxi fares, making the costs clearer to passengers.

However, the authority acknowledged that the comparison between airport taxi fares and the lower prices passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms had heightened public concerns.

FAAN also disclosed that it is engaging other e-hailing platforms as part of efforts to establish a sustainable operational framework for their services at Nigerian airports.