Why passengers cannot walk freely on airport tarmac – FAAN’s CEO

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has explained why passengers cannot walk freely on airport tarmacs, warning that unauthorised movement around aircraft could expose travellers to serious injuries and compromise flight safety.

FAAN’s Managing Director Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku highlighted the reasons on Wednesday in an educational post on X, outlining the hazards associated with unrestricted access to airport operational areas.

The post, accompanied by photographs and illustrations, explained that the tarmac is not a public walkway but a busy operational zone where aircraft, ground support vehicles and airport personnel operate under carefully coordinated conditions.

“Unauthorised access can put lives at risk and compromise flight safety,” Ms Kuku said in the accompanying caption.

According to FAAN, aircraft engines generate powerful airflow and suction capable of pulling loose objects, clothing and people close to engine intakes.

The authority warned that anyone caught dangerously close to an operating engine could suffer severe injuries, while objects sucked into engines could cause significant damage.

It said maintaining a safe distance from aircraft engines is critical to protecting passengers and airport personnel.

FAAN also noted that the tarmac accommodates several moving vehicles, including baggage loaders, pushback tractors, fuel trucks and other ground support equipment.

Such vehicles have blind spots and operate under coordinated procedures, meaning unauthorised movement through such areas could expose people to collisions or other accidents.

The authority further warned that aircraft require clear movement areas, particularly runways and taxiways where they manoeuvre, take off and land.

Unauthorised access to these areas could result in runway incursions, creating dangerous situations for passengers, flight crews and airport personnel.

FAAN stated that passengers are not completely prohibited from walking on airport tarmacs.

At airports where boarding arrangements require passengers to walk between terminals and aircraft, such movement is permitted under controlled conditions.

However, the authority said passengers must be properly supervised and guided by authorised airport or airline ground personnel.

It stressed that airport operational areas remain restricted for safety and security reasons, with only authorised persons permitted access under established procedures.

“Every access restriction has a purpose. Every safety rule matters,” Ms Kuku said, adding that airport safety was everyone’s responsibility.

In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Patience Abbo, the wife of former Adamawa North Senator Ishaku Abbo, was seen accompanying her husband across the airport tarmac to an aircraft at Yola Airport.

The report examined footage posted on Mrs Abbo’s social media account showing her walking across the airport apron near an aircraft staircase, exchanging a black phone case with her husband and embracing him before he boarded the aircraft.

The footage also showed a third party recording the farewell from within the restricted operational area, raising questions about how both Mrs Abbo and the videographer gained access to the tarmac.

PREMIUM TIMES subsequently reported another incident in June after fresh footage showed Mrs Abbo again accompanying her husband across the tarmac, this time wheeling a suitcase to the aircraft staircase. The second video raised further questions about whether the initial breach was an isolated occurrence.

Following the reports, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo ordered an investigation into security procedures at Yola Airport after seeking explanations from airport security officials.

The incidents highlighted concerns about enforcement of airport access restrictions and whether prominent individuals are being allowed to bypass procedures routinely applied to ordinary passengers.

What aviation regulations say

Airport operational areas, commonly referred to as airside, are subject to strict access controls under Nigeria’s aviation security regulations.

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, particularly Part 17 on aviation security, provide measures to prevent unauthorised access to aircraft and restricted airport areas.

The regulations define airside as the movement area of an airport, including adjacent terrain and buildings, access to which is controlled.

Access to aircraft operational areas is generally restricted to screened passengers with valid boarding passes and authorised airport or airline personnel.

The rules are designed to protect aircraft, passengers, airport workers and critical aviation infrastructure from security breaches and operational hazards.

FAAN’s latest explanation underscores the distinction between supervised passenger boarding and unrestricted access to operational areas.

The authority said the tarmac should not be treated as a public walkway, warning that even a single unauthorised movement could have serious consequences for airport safety.