FAAN denies imposing 2020 vehicle requirement on airport taxi operators

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has dismissed claims that it directed airport taxi operators to replace their vehicles with 2020 model cars before they could continue operating at the nation’s airports.

The clarification follows a viral video in which some airport cab drivers appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians, alleging that FAAN had introduced a policy compelling them to purchase vehicles worth between N18 million and N30 million as a condition for operating under a new digital taxi platform.

The drivers claimed the requirement formed part of the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), describing it as unrealistic given the current economic situation.

Responding to the allegations, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Adebola Agunbiade, described the claims as misleading, insisting that the authority never mandated operators to acquire 2020 model vehicles.

According to her, the minimum vehicle standard approved for registration on the ACHRAMS platform is 2012 model vehicles and above.

She explained that the requirement had been communicated to operators since 2024, with the initial compliance deadline of January 1, 2026, later extended to June and subsequently shifted to October 1, 2026, to give operators more time to meet the standard.

Agunbiade also said the protest captured in the viral video was linked to resistance by some operators who declined to register on the new digital platform, rather than any new vehicle policy.

She dismissed reports that FAAN planned to phase out about 60 per cent of existing airport taxi operators, stressing that all current operators would be allowed to continue once they met the prescribed requirements.

According to her, only two airport taxi companies have yet to join the platform after their union advised members against participating in the pilot phase.

She added that many other operators, including those outside the union, had already embraced the new system.

The FAAN official further disclosed that the authority was finalising agreements with ride-hailing companies, including Bolt and Uber, to integrate their services into the airport taxi management platform.

She explained that until the agreements are concluded, the companies do not have formal approval to pick up passengers from airport terminals, describing the restriction as a temporary regulatory measure rather than a ban.