Afghan boy flies from Kabul to Delhi hiding in plane's landing gear

A 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan survived a dangerous journey from Kabul to New Delhi by hiding in the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air passenger flight, authorities confirmed.

The boy, a resident of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, was discovered wandering alone on the runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly after the aircraft landed on Sunday at around 11:10 a.m. on flight RQ-4401.

Indian security officials detained the boy and questioned him for several hours before arranging for his return to Kabul on the same flight.

According to a statement from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the boy told authorities he had entered the airport in Kabul by trailing a group of passengers. He then concealed himself in the rear wheel well — the compartment that houses the aircraft’s landing gear.

“He said he did it out of curiosity,” an official said. “He was unaware that the flight was headed to Delhi and believed it was going to Tehran.”

Following a routine safety inspection after landing, airline staff discovered a small red audio speaker, believed to have belonged to the boy.

While there have been several cases in recent years of individuals stowing away in aircraft to flee conflict or poverty, survival is rare due to the extreme conditions in the landing gear compartment, including freezing temperatures and low oxygen levels at high altitude.

Experts note that stowaways who do survive often lose consciousness during the flight and face fatal risks when the landing gear is lowered for landing.

In 2022, a 22-year-old Kenyan man survived a similar ordeal in the wheel well of a cargo plane traveling to Amsterdam.

Authorities in both India and Afghanistan are investigating how the boy managed to breach airport security in Kabul and board the aircraft unnoticed.