Players in the Nigerian aviation industry have criticised the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for its decision to restrict the operations of e-hailing platforms, including Uber and Bolt, at Nigerian airports.

The industry players said that the agency’s decision could undermine passenger convenience and create an artificial monopoly for airport taxi operators.

Those who spoke to The Guardian yesterday said that while airport authorities had the right to regulate transportation services within their premises, such regulations should be designed around the interests of passengers, rather than the protection of a category of transport operators.

The Principal Managing Partner of Aeronexus Group, Gbenga Onitilo, said the issue was not about airport authorities regulating transportation services, but whether the manner of regulation placed passengers at the centre of the decision-making process.

Onitilo said reports of passengers being stranded and facing higher fares following the restriction raised concerns about the effectiveness of the policy.

He noted that Bolt already operated structured airport pricing and routes in Nigeria, arguing that there was therefore an opportunity to regulate the platform rather than exclude it.

According to him, the requirement that vehicles operating at the airports should be 2012 models or newer may appear reasonable from safety and quality perspectives, but could impose a significant financial burden on operators.

He said: “If the objective is to improve passenger experience, safety and the quality of vehicles operating at our airports, absolutely, let us do that. But can we genuinely say the passenger was at the centre of this decision?

“On paper, it sounds like a reasonable quality standard. But have we considered the economic reality? A 2012 used vehicle may cost over N15 million today.

With fuel prices, maintenance, insurance and financing costs, how many ordinary airport cab operators can realistically make that investment?”

Onitilo wondered whether the existing airport taxi operators had sufficient capacity to absorb passengers who previously depended on Uber and Bolt, particularly passengers arriving at the airports and requiring immediate onward transportation.

He cited other African airports like Kotoka International Airport in Accra, OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa and Kenya, among others, where e-hailing services have been integrated into airport transportation systems.

Also, the former Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, described the restriction as a violation of passengers’ rights.

He posited that passengers already contributed to the financing of the aviation system through various charges, including the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and FAAN administrative charges.

According to him, the restriction does not address safety or orderliness at the airports and could provide an unfair advantage to a limited number of airport transport operators.

He said: “Banning Uber and Bolt from Nigeria’s airports is a direct disrespect of passenger rights. This ban does not protect safety or order. It protects a small group of idle airport transporters who wait all day to exploit travellers.”

Caulcrick said airport taxi operators should be encouraged to compete based on service quality, pricing and reliability rather than relying on restrictions against competing transportation platforms.

Also, the President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Dr Alex Nwuba, said the passenger did not appear to be the starting point of the decision.

Nwuba said regulation was necessary in the airport environment, but declared that it should be people-oriented and focused on integrating modern transportation options into the airport ecosystem.

According to him, passengers sustain the entire aviation and transportation ecosystem through the fares and charges they pay, making their interests central to airport policy decisions.

Nwuba argued that modern transportation systems were increasingly based on integration, supervision and accountability rather than outright exclusion.

“For me, regulation should expand safe choices, not eliminate them. Competition should give passengers options, and regulation should make those options reliable. That is the essence of a functional transport ecosystem.

“In the end, an airport’s success is measured by something very simple: whether a passenger who lands late at night can get home safely, affordably, and conveniently,” he said.