FAAN restores Bolt services at Nigerian airports after Keyamo’s intervention

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has restored Bolt’s operations at airports under its management following an intervention by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The decision comes after passengers raised concerns over the temporary disruption of e-hailing services and the resulting increase in transportation costs at some airports.

FAAN announced the resolution after reaching an agreement with Bolt on an operational framework that will allow the ride-hailing company to continue serving passengers at FAAN-managed airports.

The authority said Bolt had been cleared to resume its services immediately.

Keyamo intervenes over rising fares

The restoration followed a directive from Keyamo after complaints emerged over the disruption of e-hailing services and what travellers described as excessive airport taxi fares.

The minister directed FAAN to urgently address the situation, particularly the impact of the restrictions on passengers.

Following discussions with Bolt, FAAN said both parties had reached an arrangement that would enable the company to operate within an agreed regulatory framework.

The development is expected to provide passengers with more transportation choices when travelling to and from the airports.

FAAN explains reason for restrictions

FAAN said its efforts to regulate commercial and e-hailing vehicles at airports were driven by concerns over passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups and other operational challenges.

The authority said it had been working for several years to improve the management of commercial transportation within the airport environment, particularly from the perspective of safety, security and accountability.

As part of these efforts, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS.

The authority stressed that ACHRAMS was created to manage authorised airport car-hire operations and was not intended to compete with e-hailing companies such as Bolt or Uber.

FAAN said the system was also not designed to establish a monopoly in airport transportation.

Airport taxi fares become controversial

The dispute came amid widespread concerns over airport transportation costs, particularly after reports of passengers being charged significantly higher fares for journeys from Lagos airports.

FAAN clarified that the airport taxi rates attracting public attention were not newly introduced by the authority or created by ACHRAMS.

According to the agency, the rates had existed previously, although the new system provided greater visibility around the charges.

FAAN acknowledged that passengers had become accustomed to comparatively cheaper fares offered by e-hailing platforms, making the difference in prices more noticeable during the disruption.

The authority apologised to travellers for the inconvenience caused by the temporary interruption of e-hailing services.

FAAN promises regulated competition

FAAN said the resolution with Bolt demonstrated that airport security and regulatory requirements could be maintained without removing passengers’ access to convenient transportation options.

The authority maintained that passengers would continue to have the freedom to choose among authorised transportation providers operating within the approved airport framework.

It also disclosed that discussions were continuing with other e-hailing operators, expressing confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved.

The agency said its objective was to create a transportation system that balances passenger convenience with safety, security and accountability.

Relief for airport travellers

The restoration of Bolt services is expected to provide some relief for travellers who had faced limited transportation options and higher fares during the period of disruption.

For passengers, the return of e-hailing services offers greater choice and the ability to access app-based transportation with fares that can be viewed before a trip is accepted.

For FAAN, the agreement represents an attempt to regulate airport transportation without completely restricting the participation of technology-driven mobility companies.

The authority said passenger welfare would remain central to its decisions as it continues to engage operators and refine the framework governing commercial transportation at Nigerian airports.