Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for securing persons on maintenance work on aircraft surfaces, having a cable (2) stretched over the wing surface (1). In order to produce such a device or to provide such a device that it is essentially easier and cheaper than current vacuum retaining devices, wherein however under no circumstances the aircraft structures which are loaded by the device are loaded beyond an admissible threshold, in accordance with the invention, the cable (2) is stretched between a defined first anchor point (3) on the fuselage (4) above the wing surface (1) and a second defined anchor point (5) on the upper side of the wing surface (1) close to the end of the wing surface, wherein a damping device (7) is provided between the first and second anchor points (3, 5), whereby tensile forces occurring in the cable cause a defined lengthening of the cable.