The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN has cleared ride-hailing company Bolt to resume operations at airports it manages, ending a temporary disruption that had drawn complaints from travellers over transport options and fares.

FAAN said Thursday that it had reached an operational agreement with Bolt following discussions aimed at addressing regulatory, safety and security concerns around commercial and ride-hailing vehicles at airports.

The authority said the decision followed concerns raised by passengers after e-hailing services were temporarily disrupted, and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

“FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately,” the authority said in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire.

The development comes after FAAN introduced tighter controls over commercial transport services within airport premises, citing concerns including passenger solicitation, touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups and difficulties with identifying and monitoring vehicles.

FAAN said it had introduced its Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS, to improve the organisation and monitoring of authorised airport transport services.

The authority stressed that ACHRAMS was not an e-hailing application and was not intended to compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility platforms.

“FAAN supports healthy competition and does not seek to create or promote a monopoly in airport transportation,” it said.

The dispute had also generated public concern over airport taxi fares, with passengers comparing the prices of conventional airport taxis with cheaper fares available through e-hailing platforms.

FAAN denied that it had introduced new taxi fares through ACHRAMS, saying airport taxi rates existed independently of the system.

According to the authority, ACHRAMS merely made existing airport taxi fares more visible to passengers.

FAAN acknowledged, however, that the visibility of those fares alongside the lower prices passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing services had fuelled concerns over transport costs.

The authority said its intervention had been motivated by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than an attempt to influence transportation prices.

“FAAN acknowledges that the immediate impact on passengers was significant,” it said, adding that it had “listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments”.

The resumption of Bolt services is expected to restore another transport option for passengers using airports managed by FAAN.

The authority said it was also holding discussions with other e-hailing operators and expected the outstanding engagements to be concluded in the coming days.

FAAN said passengers would remain free to choose among authorised transport services, while the authority would focus on ensuring that operators within airport premises complied with safety, security and accountability requirements.

The resolution also highlights the challenge facing airport authorities in balancing tighter regulation of transport operations with passengers’ demand for affordable and convenient mobility services.

FAAN said its priority remained the safety, security and convenience of travellers as it continued to regulate transport activities within the airport environment.