A 13-year-old boy from Kunduz, Afghanistan, managed to secretly hide inside the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air flight from Kabul to Delhi, surviving a two-hour journey to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The boy reportedly sneaked into a restricted area of Kabul airport and climbed into the rear central landing gear compartment of flight RQ-4401. Upon landing in Delhi around 11:00 am on Sunday, airline personnel spotted the teenager wandering near the plane.
He was quickly apprehended by airline staff and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force, who brought him to Terminal 3 for questioning. The boy said he acted out of curiosity and did not fully comprehend the risks involved.
During the security check of the landing gear compartment, officials found a small red audio speaker believed to belong to the boy. The plane was thoroughly inspected and declared safe following anti-sabotage checks.
The boy was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same aircraft, departing Delhi around 12:30 pm the same day.
This rare and dangerous incident underscores the extreme measures some individuals take to escape difficult circumstances, as well as important challenges for airport security.
This report covers the story of a 13-year-old Afghan boy who stowed away by hiding in a plane’s landing gear to reach Delhi and was safely returned to Afghanistan after questioning.### 13-Year-Old Afghan Boy Secretly Hides in Plane Landing Gear, Lands in Delhiindiatoday+2
A 13-year-old boy from Kunduz, Afghanistan, managed to secretly hide inside the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air flight from Kabul to Delhi, surviving a two-hour journey to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The boy reportedly sneaked into a restricted area of Kabul airport and climbed into the rear central landing gear compartment of flight RQ-4401. Upon landing in Delhi around 11:00 am on Sunday, airline personnel spotted the teenager wandering near the plane.
He was quickly apprehended by airline staff and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force, who brought him to Terminal 3 for questioning. The boy said he acted out of curiosity and did not fully comprehend the risks involved.
During the security check of the landing gear compartment, officials found a small red audio speaker believed to belong to the boy. The plane was thoroughly inspected and declared safe following anti-sabotage checks.
The boy was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same aircraft, departing Delhi around 12:30 pm the same day.
This rare and dangerous incident underscores the extreme measures some individuals take to escape difficult circumstances, as well as important challenges for airport security.