FAAN: E-hailing services not banned at airports, safety concerns drive new framework

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said it has not imposed a blanket ban on e-hailing services at Nigerian airports, stressing that its ongoing engagement with operators such as Uber and Bolt is aimed at improving passenger safety, security and accountability.

The Authority made the clarification against the backdrop of growing public concerns over the availability and operations of e-hailing services at some airports, particularly in relation to passengers’ ability to arrange convenient airport pick-ups.

FAAN, in a statement issued on Thursday, said its position had been misunderstood, insisting that it had never sought to deprive air travellers of access to transportation options or undermine the contribution of e-hailing platforms to passenger mobility.

According to the Authority, its intervention is primarily driven by the need to ensure that all commercial activities taking place within airport premises comply with established safety, security and operational requirements.

FAAN described airports as highly regulated environments where the movement of people, vehicles and commercial operators must be properly coordinated.

It explained that commercial transportation providers operating within airport premises could not function without an appropriate framework that would enable the airport authority to maintain visibility over their operations.

Such a framework, the Authority said, was necessary to ensure that vehicles and drivers operating at airports could be properly identified and accounted for, while also allowing airport authorities and security agencies to respond effectively whenever passenger-related or security incidents occurred.

FAAN said the requirement had become particularly important because of the large volume of passenger movements at the nation’s airports and the unique security considerations associated with airport operations.

It noted that transportation providers serving airport passengers must be identifiable, accountable and properly integrated into the airport’s operational and security systems.

FAAN also addressed what it described as a misconception about its Airport Concession, Revenue, Handling and Management System, ACHRAMS.

The Authority stressed that ACHRAMS was not an e-hailing application and was never designed to compete with Uber, Bolt or any other ride-hailing platform.

Rather, FAAN said the platform was developed to provide operational visibility and tracking within the airport environment and to facilitate the seamless and accountable management of applicable concession and related airport charges.

The clarification is significant because of perceptions that FAAN’s use of ACHRAMS could amount to the creation of an alternative platform for airport transportation services.

FAAN said this was not the purpose of the system, insisting that ACHRAMS was primarily an operational and management tool rather than a competitor to commercial e-hailing companies.

The Authority said its position had also been influenced by complaints and operational challenges associated with commercial transportation activities within and around airport premises.

It identified passenger solicitation and touting among the concerns that had been observed over time, adding that such activities could affect passenger experience and create operational challenges within the airport environment.

FAAN said these issues made it necessary to establish a clear framework through which commercial transportation services could operate while complying with airport safety, security and passenger-management requirements.

The Authority nevertheless stressed that the existence of such a framework should not be interpreted as an attempt to prevent e-hailing operators from serving passengers.

Instead, it said it had been engaging the relevant operators to develop an arrangement that would accommodate the convenience provided by e-hailing services while addressing the peculiar requirements of operating within an airport.

According to the Authority, discussions with the affected e-hailing companies are focused on developing a mutually acceptable operational framework.

The areas under consideration include passenger safety and security, operational visibility, accountability and the management of pick-up activities within airport premises.

FAAN said the objective was to ensure that passengers could continue to use e-hailing services without compromising the security and orderly operation of airports.

It added that the current situation was part of an ongoing process of operational alignment and should therefore not be misconstrued as a blanket prohibition on e-hailing services.

The Authority also recognised the growing importance of platforms such as Uber and Bolt in providing passengers with additional transportation choices.

FAAN acknowledged that e-hailing services offered significant convenience to air travellers, particularly those who prefer to arrange transportation through mobile applications rather than use conventional airport transport options.

It further acknowledged that passengers could experience inconvenience while discussions over the outstanding operational issues continued.

For this reason, the Authority said it was keen to see the engagement with the affected operators concluded expeditiously.

FAAN expressed confidence that an agreement acceptable to all parties would be reached shortly. The Authority reiterated that its actions were guided by what it described as one overriding consideration: the protection of passengers.

It said its responsibility extended beyond facilitating access to transportation to ensuring that the entire airport environment remained safe, secure and orderly.

FAAN maintained that an effective regulatory framework for commercial transportation would provide greater accountability while allowing legitimate mobility providers to continue serving travellers.

It therefore pledged to work collaboratively with Uber, Bolt and other mobility providers to establish arrangements that would enable passengers to retain access to safe and convenient transportation services at Nigerian airports.

The Authority’s position effectively places the current disagreement within the context of an effort to regulate how e-hailing services operate within airport premises, rather than an attempt to remove app-based transportation services from the country’s airports.

FAAN said it remained committed to achieving a balance between passenger convenience and the stringent operational, safety and security requirements that govern airport environments.