FAAN Explains Why Passengers Cannot Move Freely On Airport Tarmac
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has explained why passengers are not allowed unrestricted access to airport tarmacs, warning that unauthorised movement around aircraft could endanger lives and compromise flight safety.
FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, gave the explanation on Wednesday in an educational post on X, highlighting the dangers associated with unrestricted access to airport operational areas.
According to her, the tarmac is not a public walkway but a restricted operational zone where aircraft, ground support vehicles and airport personnel operate under carefully coordinated safety procedures.
She warned that aircraft engines generate powerful airflow and suction capable of pulling people, clothing and loose objects towards engine intakes, potentially causing severe injuries or damaging aircraft engines.
FAAN also identified the movement of ground support equipment, including baggage loaders, pushback tractors and fuel trucks, as another major safety concern.
The authority explained that such vehicles have blind spots and operate under specific procedures, making unauthorised movement around them potentially dangerous.
It further noted that aircraft require clear movement areas, particularly runways and taxiways used for manoeuvring, take-off and landing. Unauthorised access to these areas could trigger runway incursions, endangering passengers, flight crews and airport personnel.
However, FAAN clarified that passengers are not entirely prohibited from walking on airport tarmacs, explaining that some boarding arrangements require travellers to walk between terminal buildings and aircraft.
It stressed that such movements are permitted only under controlled conditions, with passengers properly supervised and guided by authorised airport or airline ground personnel.
Onabanjo-Kuku maintained that access restrictions were necessary to protect lives, aircraft and critical airport infrastructure, adding that every safety rule must be respected.
The clarification comes amid concerns over alleged breaches of airport security procedures following incidents involving the wife of former Adamawa North Senator, Ishaku Abbo, who was seen accompanying her husband across the tarmac at Yola Airport.
Footage shared on social media in May showed Patience Abbo walking with her husband near an aircraft staircase, exchanging a phone case with him and embracing him before he boarded the aircraft.
Another video released in June showed her accompanying the former lawmaker across the tarmac again, this time wheeling a suitcase towards the aircraft.
The incidents raised questions about how unauthorised individuals gained access to restricted airport operational areas and whether security procedures were being consistently enforced.
Following the reports, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, ordered an investigation into security procedures at Yola Airport.
Under Nigeria’s aviation security regulations, particularly Part 17 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, airport operational areas are subject to strict access controls to prevent unauthorised entry into restricted zones.
The regulations define airside as an airport’s movement area, including adjacent terrain and buildings, where access is controlled.
FAAN’s latest clarification reinforces the distinction between supervised passenger boarding and unrestricted access to airport operational areas, emphasising that compliance with safety and security procedures remains essential to preventing avoidable accidents.
