FAAN Restores Bolt Airport Operations as Keyamo Intervenes

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has lifted its restriction on Bolt operations at airports, restoring passengers’ access to the e-hailing service following widespread complaints over inconvenience and rising transportation fares.

The reversal followed an intervention by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, after passengers and social media users raised concerns about the disruption.

In a post on his X handle, Keyamo said he had directed FAAN to urgently address the increase in taxi fares at the nation’s airports.

FAAN subsequently announced that it had reached an operational agreement with Bolt following constructive engagements between both parties.

The Authority said Bolt had been cleared to immediately resume services at FAAN-managed airports.

The development followed concerns over the regulation and management of commercial and e-hailing vehicles within airport premises. FAAN said it had been working for several years to address issues associated with passenger solicitation, touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups, as well as safety, security and accountability.

To address these challenges, the authority introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS, to regulate authorised airport car-hire services.

FAAN clarified that ACHRAMS was not an e-hailing application and was not created to compete with mobility platforms such as Bolt and Uber.

The authority also denied suggestions that it was attempting to establish a monopoly in airport transportation, stressing that it supported healthy competition among service providers.

FAAN further explained that the airport taxi fares recently discussed publicly were neither newly imposed by the authority nor introduced by ACHRAMS.

According to the agency, the system merely increased visibility around existing airport taxi rates, making the costs clearer to passengers.

It acknowledged that travellers had become accustomed to lower fares offered by e-hailing platforms, making the temporary suspension of such services particularly difficult for passengers.

FAAN apologised for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and said it had listened to passengers’ concerns and made the necessary adjustments.

The authority maintained that its initial measures were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests.

It said the agreement with Bolt demonstrated that airport security and regulation could coexist with convenient transportation options for travellers.

FAAN disclosed that discussions were ongoing with other e-hailing operators and expressed confidence that the remaining engagements would be concluded soon.

The authority reiterated that passengers remained free to choose their preferred transportation options, provided the services operate within the approved airport framework.

FAAN thanked travellers for their patience and assured the public that passenger safety, security, convenience and overall airport experience remained central to its decisions.