Days after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) suspended the operations of taxi-hailing apps at federal airports — a ban that had already led Uber and Bolt drivers in Abuja to threaten a strike — users have been introduced to a new app called FAANTaxi, or FAAN Car Hire.

The development lands in a sensitive corner of airport operations, where access control, passenger movement and concession fees intersect with transport demand. That makes any official-sounding ride app immediately significant, not just for travelers but for drivers who depend on airport traffic and for operators navigating FAAN’s rules.

Upon closer inspection, the app was developed by the Excelian Group for ACHRAMS, a system FAAN describes as an airport access and concession fee collection tool.

In a recent press statement issued after the airport taxi debacle, FAAN sought to correct a misconception about the ACHRAMS-owned platform and its place at the airports, explaining that the platform is not an e-hailing service.

“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and is not intended to compete with or replicate the services provided by Uber, Bolt or any other e-hailing platform. It was developed primarily to provide operational visibility and tracking within the airport environment, while also facilitating seamless and accountable management of applicable concession and related airport charges,” the authority said.

But how true is FAAN’s claim? ACHRAMS, which FAAN says is only a regulatory tool, is operating in exactly the manner of an e-hailing app.

First, it introduced an app called FAAN Car Hire (FAANTaxi), complete with the ACHRAMS logo. The app, currently on the App Store for passengers to download, is described as “providing FAAN-approved airport rides”. If the system is merely a regulatory tool for the airport authority to manage transportation, the question is why it has a passenger app downloadable by the public. The app goes further, describing itself as an “Official Airport Car Hire”.

Like every other e-hailing app, FAAN Car Hire has both a passenger app and a driver app through which drivers can register their cars. The tag on the driver app reads: “Earn with ACHRAMS” — wording that denotes a platform which pays drivers for using it. The app, moreover, has been known to book rides, take on trips, set fares and accept payments.

A Twitter user, Eloho Johnson, who purportedly used the app, complained that its fares are high and questioned why Uber and Bolt were banned only for a more expensive platform to be hoisted in their place.

“FAAN is banning Uber at airports and launching its own app, ‘FAANTaxi’, only for them to be quoting ₦30,000 for a trip from Ikeja Airport to Radisson Hotel in the same Ikeja????!!!! Meanwhile, an Uber ride for that distance doesn’t exceed ₦8,000. A whole ₦30,000 for a one-way trip just within Ikeja? APC!!!!,” the user noted.

Other reviews on the App Store point in the same direction, with a reviewer, Christopher Okorie, noting that the price is three times what obtains on Uber and Bolt. Why, then, is an airport management tool setting fares for airport taxi operators like Uber, Bolt and other apps?

In the statement addressing the suspension of Uber and Bolt from airport operations — in which it assured of a speedy resolution — FAAN said it was keen to see the discussions concluded expeditiously and is currently engaged in constructive discussions towards resolving the outstanding issues with the operators.

The launching of a new app, however, suggests FAAN is building a formal airport-linked transport channel even as those talks continue, unless there is a serious pushback from users.

There are also a few observed details about the new app. First, the ACHRAMS platform is focused on drivers, not companies. While it does not exclude drivers from operating on other platforms, using it is mandatory for anyone operating within the airport premises.

Second, there is a serious demand gap that the new app does not address. While passengers can use it to reach their destinations from the airport, drivers are not guaranteed a return trip, as travellers do not have to use it to get to the airport.

The e-hailing apps themselves appear to have figured this out and are not as excited as everyone else over the matter. A top executive of one of the apps told this reporter that it is very doubtful that they would renew their concession with FAAN.