The Federal Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has directed all airport cab operators across the country to upgrade their cars before October 2026.
The FAAN stated that airport cab operators must upgrade their cars to 2012 models or newer, if they want to continue working at Nigerian airports.
The new deadline represents a significant extension from the original July 2024 ultimatum set by the regulator.
According to the FAAN, the directive comes as part of a major overhaul to improve ground transportation to international standards. That is, the ground transportation, which is usually the first and last touchpoints at airports meetup with ongoing aviation upgrades.
The regulator furthered that the upgrade will facilitate cleaner rides, matching modern terminals and direct engagement with companies.
However, the move has attracted pushback from airport cab operators who are now threatening to suspend services in Lagos and Abuja airports. They argue that complying with the directive may be difficult due to many reasons including the high cost of new cars.
Similarly, other Nigerians have expressed mixed concerns about the move suggesting that it may be more than meets the eye.
One X user, Ola said;
When you see news like this, just know someone want to introduce some kind of taxing/billing program. Or they want to introduce a new player who will have monopoly of the taxi system at our airports.
Another user, Sarki Oba added that;
This is a welcome development. Many airport cabs are old and in poor condition, so upgrading to newer models will improve safety and comfort for passengers.
However, FAAN should also provide a realistic financing plan or support system to help operators with older vehicles upgrade without shutting them out completely.
