New Delhi: In a dramatic security incident, a 13-year-old Afghan boy managed to travel from Kabul to Delhi by hiding inside the landing gear compartment of a passenger aircraft, officials said on Monday.
The incident took place on Sunday morning when KAM Air flight RQ-4401 landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after a two-hour journey from Kabul. Around 11 am, airline authorities spotted the teenager wandering near the aircraft after touchdown and immediately alerted the airport security control room.
The boy, a resident of Kunduz city, was apprehended by airline staff and handed over to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel. He was then taken to Terminal 3 for questioning.
According to officials, the boy revealed that he had sneaked into Kabul airport and climbed into the rear central landing gear compartment of the aircraft “out of curiosity.”
After questioning, the boy was repatriated to Afghanistan on the same aircraft when it departed at 12:30 pm, officials said.
Following the incident, KAM Air security personnel thoroughly inspected the landing gear compartment and recovered a small red speaker reportedly belonging to the boy. Anti-sabotage checks were conducted, and the aircraft was declared safe before resuming operations.
